Marine to receive Medal of Honor for Iraq heroism

angela146

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http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/11/10/medal.honor/index.html

(CNN) -- President Bush on Friday will announce that the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military decoration, will be awarded posthumously to Marine Cpl. Jason Dunham.

In April 2004, Dunham was leading a patrol in an Iraqi town near the Syrian border when the patrol stopped a convoy of cars leaving the scene of an attack on a Marine convoy, according to military and media accounts of the action.

An occupant of one of the cars attacked Dunham and the two fought hand to hand. As they fought, Dunham yelled to fellow Marines, "No, no watch his hand." The attacker then dropped a grenade on which Dunham threw himself.

Dunham was critically wounded in the explosion and died eight days later at Bethesda Naval Hospital in Washington.

"His was a selfless act of courage to save his fellow Marines," Sgt. Maj. Daniel A. Huff of the 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, was quoted as saying in Marine Corps News that April.

"He new what he was doing," Lance Cpl. Jason A. Sanders, 21, of McAllester, Oklahoma, who was in Dunham's company, was quoted as saying by Marine Corps News. "He wanted to save Marines' lives from that grenade."

In various media accounts, fellow Marines told how Dunham had extended his enlistment shortly before he died so he could help his comrades.

"We told him he was crazy for coming out here," Lance Cpl. Mark E. Dean, 22, from Owasso, Oklahoma, said in Marine Corps News. "He decided to come out here and fight with us. All he wanted was to make sure his boys made it back home."

The Scio, New York, native would have been 25 years old on Friday.

Dunham's story was told in the book "The Gift of Valor," written by Wall Street Journal reporter Michael Phillips.

Dunham will be the second American to receive the Medal of Honor from service in Iraq.

Army Sgt. 1st Class Paul Ray Smith was the other, honored for action near Baghdad International Airport in April 2003, in which he killed as many as 50 enemy combatants while helping wounded comrades to safety. Smith was the only U.S. soldier killed in the battle.
 
I would be proud to be his parent. I would also be sad for the loss but proud than my son was brave and selfless in the face of adversity.

It is people like these that make be proud to be an American. And to have served my country as a protector of freedom I even more proud of those who are willing to give their life for comrades in arms.
 
An oustanding example of what is good and right in our military. I am glad that the Pelosi-led Dems could not stop this honor.
 
Semper Fi Cpl. Durham. Well done.

And to the assholes who use this to push a political point, bite me!
 
Jenny_Jackson said:
Angela,
This is the problem with the MOA... you never really get to enjoy it.

Not true, Jenny.

Audie Murphy got one in WWII and survived.

Although I was under the impression he got two. I read his autobiography years ago and I was sure he'd gotten one in Italy as well as the one listed on the website.

ETA: You can find a full list of CMOH winners here. Including some in places I never expected, like The Boxer Rebellion. And some I'd never heard of. Like the 1871 Korean War. :confused:
 
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There are around 90 or so MOH winners alive... but not many still in the military. The senior officers hate MOH winners because THEY have to salute the winners and not the other way around. They hate it when some Private puts a General on Report for not saluting. :D

http://www.cmohs.org/recipients/living_cites_moo.htm

rgraham666 said:
Not true, Jenny.

Audie Murphy got one in WWII and survived.

Although I was under the impression he got two. I read his autobiography years ago and I was sure he'd gotten one in Italy as well as the one listed on the website.

ETA: You can find a full list of CMOH winners here. Including some in places I never expected, like The Boxer Rebellion. And some I'd never heard of. Like the 1871 Korean War. :confused:
 
rgraham666 said:
Semper Fi Cpl. Durham. Well done.

And to the assholes who use this to push a political point, bite me!

I love you, Rob.

And I'd bite ya.

:cathappy:
 
angela146 said:
http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/11/10/medal.honor/index.html

(CNN) -- President Bush on Friday will announce that the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military decoration, will be awarded posthumously to Marine Cpl. Jason Dunham.

In April 2004, Dunham was leading a patrol in an Iraqi town near the Syrian border when the patrol stopped a convoy of cars leaving the scene of an attack on a Marine convoy, according to military and media accounts of the action.

An occupant of one of the cars attacked Dunham and the two fought hand to hand. As they fought, Dunham yelled to fellow Marines, "No, no watch his hand." The attacker then dropped a grenade on which Dunham threw himself.

Dunham was critically wounded in the explosion and died eight days later at Bethesda Naval Hospital in Washington.

"His was a selfless act of courage to save his fellow Marines," Sgt. Maj. Daniel A. Huff of the 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, was quoted as saying in Marine Corps News that April.

"He new what he was doing," Lance Cpl. Jason A. Sanders, 21, of McAllester, Oklahoma, who was in Dunham's company, was quoted as saying by Marine Corps News. "He wanted to save Marines' lives from that grenade."

In various media accounts, fellow Marines told how Dunham had extended his enlistment shortly before he died so he could help his comrades.

"We told him he was crazy for coming out here," Lance Cpl. Mark E. Dean, 22, from Owasso, Oklahoma, said in Marine Corps News. "He decided to come out here and fight with us. All he wanted was to make sure his boys made it back home."

The Scio, New York, native would have been 25 years old on Friday.

Dunham's story was told in the book "The Gift of Valor," written by Wall Street Journal reporter Michael Phillips.

Dunham will be the second American to receive the Medal of Honor from service in Iraq.

Army Sgt. 1st Class Paul Ray Smith was the other, honored for action near Baghdad International Airport in April 2003, in which he killed as many as 50 enemy combatants while helping wounded comrades to safety. Smith was the only U.S. soldier killed in the battle.

Wonderful young man. An honor well-deserved.

:rose:
 
Jenny_Jackson said:
There are around 90 or so MOH winners alive... but not many still in the military.
Not too many, I wouldn't imagine.

Especially when you consider that the most recent action that earned a non-posthumous award occured during the Vietnam War - more than 33 years ago.

I gotta think that if any of them are still on active duty - at a minimum age of 50 - they probably have a pretty high rank.

There have been MoHs awarded since Vietnam but - as far as I can tell - they were all either posthumous or for incidents that occured before 1974.
 
Sad to lose a hero like Cpl. Dunham. However, when the UD stops having heros like Cpl. Dunham, we may as well fold the tent up.

JMHO.
 
I try to leave politics outside of here

That being said, The pride I feel for the selfless act shown by this Marine is what is right about this country. Semper Fi brother, Semper Fi! No matter what your political affiliation or religious affiliation, please take a moment to remember what this great young man did for the ability for us to write stories like we do and not be concerned about being killed for it. Thank You for your time.
 
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