Gregory A. Fronius

Gregory Allen Fronius (November 3, 1959 – March 31, 1987) was a United States Army Special Forces sergeant of the 7th Special Forces Group (A). He was a military advisor to the Salvadoran Army during the Salvadoran Civil War in 1987. Fronius was killed in action during a raid of a Salvadoran garrison by the rebel Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN). He was posthumously awarded the Silver Star.

Early life

Gregory Allen Fronius was born on November 3, 1959 in Painesville, Ohio. He later lived in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. In Fronius' youth, he watched war films. Fronius attended junior high in Connellsville, Pennsylvania and began high school in Painesville in 1976.

In January 1987, Fronius was sent to El Salvador Fronius was shot several times by FMLN snipers and was killed by a mortar shell while attempting to reach a position with an M60 machine gun. including brigade commander Colonel Gilberto Rubio. Initial reports of Fronius' death stated that he was killed by a mortar shell while sleeping.

Pendleton Agnew, a spokesman for the United States embassy to El Salvador, stated that Fronius' presence at the 4th Infantry Brigade's barracks did not violate guidelines prohibiting U.S. soldiers from participating in combat. He explained that barracks was "carefully selected" by the embassy, believing that advisors would be unlikely to encounter combat there.

Responsibility for Fronius' death

Fronius was the only American at the 4th Infantry Brigade at the time when usually two or three were present. Montes had visited the barracks a few weeks prior to the attack and forwarded information about the barracks to Cuban intelligence officers who then passed it on to the FMLN. Carmichael wrote the book "True Believer" regarding his investigation and the Naval Institute Press, the book's publisher, donated funds from the book's sales to Fronius' family.

Personal life

Fronius had a wife, Celinda, and two children, Gregory and Francine, who lived in the Panama Canal Zone. In 1997, the language lab at Fort Bragg was named after Fronius.

Military awards

In 1998, Fronius was posthumously promoted from staff sergeant to sergeant first class and awarded the Silver Star after the army had previously denied issuing him the award. Fronius received the following military awards:

Combat Infantryman Badge Silver Star Purple Heart Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal Army NCO Professional Development Ribbonwith award numeral 2 Army Service Ribbon Army Overseas Service Ribbon Master Parachutist Badge Special Forces DIU