thedrifter
10-21-06, 08:10 AM
Pendleton Marine nominated for Medal of Honor
By: JOE BECK - Staff Writer
CAMP PENDLETON -- A Camp Pendleton Marine has been nominated posthumously for the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military award.
Lance Cpl. Christopher Adlesperger has been nominated for single-handedly killing at least 11 enemy insurgents during a bloody battle for Fallujah, Iraq, in November 2004, according to military comrades and family members.
If awarded the Medal of Honor, Adlesperger would be only the fourth recipient and first Marine chosen for the medal since the Vietnam war.
His battalion commander said Adlesperger's actions allowed the battalion to keep its momentum in battle and saved the lives, directly and indirectly, of an undetermined number of fellow Marines.
Adlesperger, 19, survived the battle in which Marines fought house to house over several days, but lost his life about a month later, on Dec. 10, in another battle in the same city.
The names of Medal of Honor recipients are associated with extraordinary battlefield courage above and beyond the call of duty since the first of the awards was bestowed in 1863. Since then, 3,460 medals have been awarded. There have been only three recipients since the end of the Vietnam War, two of which were earned in Somalia and one in Iraq.
Before bestowing the award, the Armed Forces require clear evidence supported by two eyewitnesses of the prospective recipient's valor. The nominating process usually begins with a recommendation from one or more of the nominee's commanding officers or other uniformed military members who were on the scene.
In a written statement from Camp Pendleton's public affairs office, Marine officials said Adlesperger and three others ---- Lance Cpl. Erick Hodges, Navy corpsman Alonso Rogero and Lance Cpl. Ryan Sunnerville ---- entered a house on Nov. 10, 2004, when they received heavy machine gun fire. According to the statement, Hodges died instantly and Rogero and Sunnerville were injured. Adlesperger, who was wounded, shielded the other wounded amid enemy fire and single-handedly shot and killed several insurgents, clearing a path that allowed him to move the wounded to the relative safety of the building's rooftop.
The Camp Pendleton statement continues: "Lance Cpl. Adlesperger threw grenades onto the enemy squad below ---- driving the insurgents into the open. Even as the insurgents tried to take his position, he remained steadfast, killing several insurgents with his rifle and with subsequent volleys of grenades. Disregarding his wounds, he joined his platoon in a final assault on the enemy machine-gun position to eliminate the insurgent threat."
The military has refused to comment officially on Medal of Honor nominations or identify the nominees until awards are handed down.
Col. Patrick Malay, Adlesperger's battalion commander, told the North County Times that he and several other officers submitted Adlesperger's nomination to the Pentagon in early 2005. Malay said it was the first nomination for the Medal of Honor he has been involved with in his 25 years with the Marines.
"We submit a lot of awards, some Silver Stars and Navy Crosses, but Chris' actions, they stand out among the rest," Malay said. "It was a most remarkable bit of fighting. He really took it to them."
Before bestowing the award, the Armed Forces require clear evidence supported by two eyewitnesses of the prospective recipient's valor. The nominating process usually begins with a recommendation from one or more of the nominee's commanding officers or other uniformed military members who were on the scene.
The Medal of Honor can be awarded to a member of any branch of the service, but Army officials in the Pentagon make crucial evaluations on all the nominations before they are approved.
Army regulations spell out that winning the Medal of Honor requires a demonstration "of personal bravery or self-sacrifice so conspicuous as to clearly distinguish the individual above his comrades and must have involved risk of life."
A nomination for the award from a commander in the field is sent to the Army Personnel Command in the Defense Department. From there, it is judged by several layers of bureaucracy in the Pentagon until reaching the secretary of defense and the president, who also have the power to approve or disapprove a nomination.
Nominations for Marines and sailors must be submitted within three years of the combat action under consideration, and the medal awarded within five years. Nominations for the Army and Air Force are required within two years; the final decision to award the medal must be made in three years.
Malay said he decided that Adlesperger's actions were worthy of a Medal of Honor after determining he directly saved the lives of Sunnerville and Rogero and probably saved the lives of other Marines who were following their squad.
"What caused me to say yes, this was very significant, is that his acts kept the entire task force rolling and that saved lives," Malay said.
Adlesperger's mother, Annette Griego, said she learned of her son's nomination at a memorial service in April 2005 attended by members of his unit. She said one of the commanding officers met privately with her and other family members to inform them of the details of Adlesperger's death and of his nomination for the Medal of Honor.
"Honestly, I thought the Marine Corps fit him,'' Griego said. "He wanted the adventure, he wanted his life to mean something and honor, that's what Chris was all about."
Griego said Adlesperger, a native of Albuquerque, N.M., joined the Marines in November 2003 and was sent to Camp Pendleton from where he deployed to Iraq in September 2004. Behind the pride she said she feels over her son's nomination lie sobering memories of the last phone calls and e-mails she exchanged with him. She describes him as particularly distraught over the death of Lance Cpl. Erick Hodges, the Marine who was shot to death immediately as Adlesperger's squad entered the house filled with insurgents.
"He was clearly shaken, and I, of course, was also upset, "Griego said of her son. "He told me he wanted me to pray for him (Hodges), and he was upset (the insurgents) did this to him, and he wanted to go and get them."
His death in early December in a second round of combat in Fallujah left her devastated, Griego said. Since then, she said, she has tried to find consolation in her memories of how Adlesperger enjoyed serving in the Marines and the way in which he seemed to mature during his time in the service.
"I realized how grown up he was, and it made me respect the Marines and what they had taught him," she said.
Contact staff writer Joe Beck at (760) 740-3516 or jbeck@nctimes.com.
Ellie
By: JOE BECK - Staff Writer
CAMP PENDLETON -- A Camp Pendleton Marine has been nominated posthumously for the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military award.
Lance Cpl. Christopher Adlesperger has been nominated for single-handedly killing at least 11 enemy insurgents during a bloody battle for Fallujah, Iraq, in November 2004, according to military comrades and family members.
If awarded the Medal of Honor, Adlesperger would be only the fourth recipient and first Marine chosen for the medal since the Vietnam war.
His battalion commander said Adlesperger's actions allowed the battalion to keep its momentum in battle and saved the lives, directly and indirectly, of an undetermined number of fellow Marines.
Adlesperger, 19, survived the battle in which Marines fought house to house over several days, but lost his life about a month later, on Dec. 10, in another battle in the same city.
The names of Medal of Honor recipients are associated with extraordinary battlefield courage above and beyond the call of duty since the first of the awards was bestowed in 1863. Since then, 3,460 medals have been awarded. There have been only three recipients since the end of the Vietnam War, two of which were earned in Somalia and one in Iraq.
Before bestowing the award, the Armed Forces require clear evidence supported by two eyewitnesses of the prospective recipient's valor. The nominating process usually begins with a recommendation from one or more of the nominee's commanding officers or other uniformed military members who were on the scene.
In a written statement from Camp Pendleton's public affairs office, Marine officials said Adlesperger and three others ---- Lance Cpl. Erick Hodges, Navy corpsman Alonso Rogero and Lance Cpl. Ryan Sunnerville ---- entered a house on Nov. 10, 2004, when they received heavy machine gun fire. According to the statement, Hodges died instantly and Rogero and Sunnerville were injured. Adlesperger, who was wounded, shielded the other wounded amid enemy fire and single-handedly shot and killed several insurgents, clearing a path that allowed him to move the wounded to the relative safety of the building's rooftop.
The Camp Pendleton statement continues: "Lance Cpl. Adlesperger threw grenades onto the enemy squad below ---- driving the insurgents into the open. Even as the insurgents tried to take his position, he remained steadfast, killing several insurgents with his rifle and with subsequent volleys of grenades. Disregarding his wounds, he joined his platoon in a final assault on the enemy machine-gun position to eliminate the insurgent threat."
The military has refused to comment officially on Medal of Honor nominations or identify the nominees until awards are handed down.
Col. Patrick Malay, Adlesperger's battalion commander, told the North County Times that he and several other officers submitted Adlesperger's nomination to the Pentagon in early 2005. Malay said it was the first nomination for the Medal of Honor he has been involved with in his 25 years with the Marines.
"We submit a lot of awards, some Silver Stars and Navy Crosses, but Chris' actions, they stand out among the rest," Malay said. "It was a most remarkable bit of fighting. He really took it to them."
Before bestowing the award, the Armed Forces require clear evidence supported by two eyewitnesses of the prospective recipient's valor. The nominating process usually begins with a recommendation from one or more of the nominee's commanding officers or other uniformed military members who were on the scene.
The Medal of Honor can be awarded to a member of any branch of the service, but Army officials in the Pentagon make crucial evaluations on all the nominations before they are approved.
Army regulations spell out that winning the Medal of Honor requires a demonstration "of personal bravery or self-sacrifice so conspicuous as to clearly distinguish the individual above his comrades and must have involved risk of life."
A nomination for the award from a commander in the field is sent to the Army Personnel Command in the Defense Department. From there, it is judged by several layers of bureaucracy in the Pentagon until reaching the secretary of defense and the president, who also have the power to approve or disapprove a nomination.
Nominations for Marines and sailors must be submitted within three years of the combat action under consideration, and the medal awarded within five years. Nominations for the Army and Air Force are required within two years; the final decision to award the medal must be made in three years.
Malay said he decided that Adlesperger's actions were worthy of a Medal of Honor after determining he directly saved the lives of Sunnerville and Rogero and probably saved the lives of other Marines who were following their squad.
"What caused me to say yes, this was very significant, is that his acts kept the entire task force rolling and that saved lives," Malay said.
Adlesperger's mother, Annette Griego, said she learned of her son's nomination at a memorial service in April 2005 attended by members of his unit. She said one of the commanding officers met privately with her and other family members to inform them of the details of Adlesperger's death and of his nomination for the Medal of Honor.
"Honestly, I thought the Marine Corps fit him,'' Griego said. "He wanted the adventure, he wanted his life to mean something and honor, that's what Chris was all about."
Griego said Adlesperger, a native of Albuquerque, N.M., joined the Marines in November 2003 and was sent to Camp Pendleton from where he deployed to Iraq in September 2004. Behind the pride she said she feels over her son's nomination lie sobering memories of the last phone calls and e-mails she exchanged with him. She describes him as particularly distraught over the death of Lance Cpl. Erick Hodges, the Marine who was shot to death immediately as Adlesperger's squad entered the house filled with insurgents.
"He was clearly shaken, and I, of course, was also upset, "Griego said of her son. "He told me he wanted me to pray for him (Hodges), and he was upset (the insurgents) did this to him, and he wanted to go and get them."
His death in early December in a second round of combat in Fallujah left her devastated, Griego said. Since then, she said, she has tried to find consolation in her memories of how Adlesperger enjoyed serving in the Marines and the way in which he seemed to mature during his time in the service.
"I realized how grown up he was, and it made me respect the Marines and what they had taught him," she said.
Contact staff writer Joe Beck at (760) 740-3516 or jbeck@nctimes.com.
Ellie