Marine Praised by Bush Won't Get Medal of Honor

Marine Praised by Bush Won't Get Medal of Honor

galvestondailynews.com

SAN DIEGO (AP) -- A Marine sergeant singled out by President Bush for throwing his body on a grenade to save his comrades in Iraq will receive the prestigious Navy Cross rather than the nation's highest military award, military officials said.

"I don't understand why if the president has been talking about him," his mother, Rosa Peralta, told the newspaper.

(visit the link for the full news article)

It appears that the friendly fire aspect of his injuries may have prevented him from receiving the award. Especially given that George Bush mentioned "enemies" in his tributes.

Rosa Peralta said she was informed during a meeting with Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Richard Natonski that a committee could not agree on awarding the Medal of Honor to her son, who Marine Corps officials say was first wounded by friendly fire. She said the general mentioned the friendly fire aspect as part of her son's death during the discussion.

Peralta was shot several times in the face and body during a house-to-house search in Fallujah on Nov. 15, 2004, during some of the fiercest fighting of the war.

According to a report by a Marine combat photographer who witnessed the act, Peralta lay wounded on the floor of a house and grabbed a grenade that had been lobbed by an insurgent. He absorbed the blast with his body, dying instantly.

In 2005, Natonski, then-commanding general of the 1st Marine Division, ordered an investigation to determine the source of a bullet fragment recovered from Peralta's body.

"Following multiple and exhaustive reviews, the evidence supports the finding that Peralta was likely hit by 'friendly fire,'" the Marine Corps said Wednesday in a press release. "This finding had no bearing on the decision to award the Navy Cross medal."

Bush cited Peralta's heroism in a Memorial Day speech in 2005, saying the Marine "understood that America faces dangerous enemies, and he knew the sacrifices required to defeat them."

If this is their rationale then it is an abomination.

galvestondailynews.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

Originally posted by DancedWithWolves


It appears that the friendly fire aspect of his injuries may have prevented him from receiving the award. Especially given that George Bush mentioned "enemies" in his tributes.

Bush cited Peralta's heroism in a Memorial Day speech in 2005, saying the Marine "understood that America faces dangerous enemies, and he knew the sacrifices required to defeat them."

If this is their rationale then it is an abomination.

galvestondailynews.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

Oh my. Translate that line to arab, stubstitute America for Islam and you hear exactly what those suicide bombers say in their video testaments.
Scary really.

reply to post by sn00daard


Here are the words President Bush used in his 2005 Memorial Day radio address:

Rafael Peralta also understood that America faces dangerous enemies, and he knew the sacrifices required to defeat them. An immigrant from Mexico, he enlisted in the Marine Corps the day after he got his green card. Just before the battle of Fallujah, he wrote his 14-year-old brother, "We are going to defeat the insurgents. Be proud of me, I'm going to make history and do something that I always wanted to do." A few days later, Sergeant Peralta gave his life to save his fellow Marines. This Memorial Day, we remember Sergeant Peralta, Sergeant Swisher, and all who have given their lives for our nation. And we honor them as we continue to wage the war on terror and spread freedom across the world. The people of Iraq and Afghanistan are determined to secure their freedom, and we will help them. We're training Iraqi and Afghan forces so they can take the fight to the enemy and defend their own countries, and then our troops will return home with the honor they have earned.

President's Radio Address

Was Sergeant Peralta's green card status not red white and blue enough for this award? Was he mortally wounded by friendly fire already so his sacrifice was not deserving? According to our President, "troops will return home with the honor they have earned." Maybe the Medal of Honor criteria is higher than jumping on a live grenade to save others. Maybe that enemy part gets in the way and he didn't qualify as one ""who distinguishes himself or herself conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her life above and beyond the call of duty while engaged in action against an enemy of the United States." He deserves our honor at least so I wanted to make sure he was remembered here and as many places as he could be. He did what my son whose been in the sandbox has told me it is all about over there now....taking care of the guy next to you. He will be forever honored among his team for saving their lives.

Peace

the source of the grenade should not be an issue ,if it was going to harm his commrades and he prevented it by giving his life ,its still an act of bravery.

If he got shot several times in the face and body, then he either knew he was a goner, or didn't want to live with a mutilated face. He was grabbing the grenade as much to end his own life as to protect his squad. The Navy Cross sounds about right.

It's not like the guy was pulling a Sgt. York. The Navy Cross is still a hell of an honor.

Logician Magician, wow, that takes some nerve to say. You had no idea what was going on through his head, and the more likely of the reason he sacrificed himself was because he was trying to save his comrades. You made his act of selflessness become an act of selfishness.

Originally posted by sn00daard

Originally posted by DancedWithWolves

Bush cited Peralta's heroism in a Memorial Day speech in 2005, saying the Marine "understood that America faces dangerous enemies, and he knew the sacrifices required to defeat them."

If this is their rationale then it is an abomination.

Oh my. Translate that line to arab, stubstitute America for Islam and you hear exactly what those suicide bombers say in their video testaments.
Scary really.

Scary? Wow, that has to be one of the most ignorant statements I have ever heard. If you cannot see the obvious difference, outside of your extremely narrow twisting of context, then you are in need of a reality check.

[edit on 9-18-2008 by TheAgentNineteen]