thedrifter
10-31-06, 06:24 AM
Deputy honored with Purple Heart
IRAQ: The Marine was on his third tour of duty when a bomb exploded near him.
10:00 PM PST on Monday, October 30, 2006
By IMRAN GHORI
The Press-Enterprise
A San Bernardino County sheriff's deputy, who was wounded while serving with his Marine unit in Iraq, was presented with the Purple Heart Monday in a ceremony attended by his fellow Marines and law enforcement officers.
But while the attention was directed towards Omar Palacios-Real, a 29-year-old Moreno Valley resident, his thoughts were with those still in Iraq, along with members of his unit, the 3rd Civil Affairs Group out of Camp Pendleton, who returned home with him.
"This group of guys here, they're the best -- the best," Palacios-Real said, pausing as he became choked with tears. "I'd die for these guys."
A corrections officer at Glen Helen Rehabilitation Center for the last three years, Palacios-Real had maintained his reserve status with the Marines and was called for duty in January. It was his third deployment to Iraq since the war began.
Palacios-Real, a staff sergeant, was assigned to a unit that acted as liaison between the military and civilian population, overseeing efforts to restore electricity, sanitation and other infrastructure.
On a routine foot patrol on April 4 in a dusty town called Haqlaniyah known for insurgent activity, Palacios-Real was wounded. He and a fellow Marine were investigating a suspicious burlap bag by the side of the road when it exploded, he said.
The other Marine, a 19-year-old, bore the brunt of the blast and lost a leg. Palacios-Real was hit by shrapnel in his right thigh and temple.
Eager to return to duty, Palacios-Real was treated and rejoined his unit. But after experiencing problems with his vision due to the shrapnel, he returned to the United States for treatment.
"We are truly blessed and fortunate to have him back with us," said his commander, Lt. Col. Andrew Roberto, who presented Palacios-Real with the medal and praised him as one of the finest Marines he's served with.
"It's a big day for us," said his mother, Maria Ramirez, as she dabbed at her eyes with a tissue.
Palacios-Real has fully recovered from his injuries and plans to return to his duties as a sheriff's deputy in January. He hopes to move to patrol duty, he said.
Palacios-Real will remain a reservist with the Marines and said he will return to Iraq if called.
He called the attention overwhelming and deflected descriptions of himself as a hero.
"It's the people over there that deserve this," he said.
Palacios-Real plans to hang the medal and the citation he received at his office at home above his naturalization papers. He became a U.S. citizen six years ago.
The deputy, whose family immigrated from Mexico when he was 2 years old, said he hopes stories like his help dispel negative images of immigrants.
"You look at that medal and realize how many people before have gotten it," he said. "It's very humbling."
Reach Imran Ghori at 909-806-3061 or ighori@PE.com
Ellie
IRAQ: The Marine was on his third tour of duty when a bomb exploded near him.
10:00 PM PST on Monday, October 30, 2006
By IMRAN GHORI
The Press-Enterprise
A San Bernardino County sheriff's deputy, who was wounded while serving with his Marine unit in Iraq, was presented with the Purple Heart Monday in a ceremony attended by his fellow Marines and law enforcement officers.
But while the attention was directed towards Omar Palacios-Real, a 29-year-old Moreno Valley resident, his thoughts were with those still in Iraq, along with members of his unit, the 3rd Civil Affairs Group out of Camp Pendleton, who returned home with him.
"This group of guys here, they're the best -- the best," Palacios-Real said, pausing as he became choked with tears. "I'd die for these guys."
A corrections officer at Glen Helen Rehabilitation Center for the last three years, Palacios-Real had maintained his reserve status with the Marines and was called for duty in January. It was his third deployment to Iraq since the war began.
Palacios-Real, a staff sergeant, was assigned to a unit that acted as liaison between the military and civilian population, overseeing efforts to restore electricity, sanitation and other infrastructure.
On a routine foot patrol on April 4 in a dusty town called Haqlaniyah known for insurgent activity, Palacios-Real was wounded. He and a fellow Marine were investigating a suspicious burlap bag by the side of the road when it exploded, he said.
The other Marine, a 19-year-old, bore the brunt of the blast and lost a leg. Palacios-Real was hit by shrapnel in his right thigh and temple.
Eager to return to duty, Palacios-Real was treated and rejoined his unit. But after experiencing problems with his vision due to the shrapnel, he returned to the United States for treatment.
"We are truly blessed and fortunate to have him back with us," said his commander, Lt. Col. Andrew Roberto, who presented Palacios-Real with the medal and praised him as one of the finest Marines he's served with.
"It's a big day for us," said his mother, Maria Ramirez, as she dabbed at her eyes with a tissue.
Palacios-Real has fully recovered from his injuries and plans to return to his duties as a sheriff's deputy in January. He hopes to move to patrol duty, he said.
Palacios-Real will remain a reservist with the Marines and said he will return to Iraq if called.
He called the attention overwhelming and deflected descriptions of himself as a hero.
"It's the people over there that deserve this," he said.
Palacios-Real plans to hang the medal and the citation he received at his office at home above his naturalization papers. He became a U.S. citizen six years ago.
The deputy, whose family immigrated from Mexico when he was 2 years old, said he hopes stories like his help dispel negative images of immigrants.
"You look at that medal and realize how many people before have gotten it," he said. "It's very humbling."
Reach Imran Ghori at 909-806-3061 or ighori@PE.com
Ellie