thedrifter
04-12-07, 11:16 AM
Originally created Thursday, April 12, 2007
Marine Barracks to be renamed for Medal of Honor winner
By MC2(SW) Michael Wiss, Periscope Staff
The heroic act of a former Kings Bay Marine giving his life to save his fellow Marines will be recognized in late June when Kings Bay's Marine Corps Security Force Barracks is renamed Cpl. Jason Dunham Barracks. Dunham, who served at Kings Bay from 2001-2003, became the first Marine since 1970 to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor, the military's highest award, for his battlefield heroism while serving in Iraq during Operation Enduring Freedom in 2004. Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Mullen approved the name change March 30.
Dunham, a 22-year-old machine gunner from Scio, N.Y., was manning a checkpoint around Karabilah near the Syrian border in Iraq on April 14, 2004, when an Iraqi man grabbed his throat. As the two scuffled using hand-to-hand combat, the Iraqi dropped a grenade with the pin removed and Dunham quickly jumped on it, using his Kevlar helmet and body to smother the blast and save the lives of two fellow Marines in the process. He died eight days later with his parents at his side at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. According to Lt. Col. Matthew Lopez, Commander of Kilo Company 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, (the unit Dunham was assigned to) Dunham's actions exhibited the ideals of courage and fortitude which are what the Medal of Honor was established to honor.
"I deeply believe that given the facts and evidence presented, he clearly understood the situation and attempted to block the blast of the grenade from his squad members," Lopez said in a statement in 2004. "His personal action was far beyond the call of duty and saved the lives of his fellow Marines."
Dunham stepped into the role of protector long ago. As a teenager, he put himself between a friend and an adversary to protect his buddy during a fight. He was a big brother advisor for his younger siblings. According to his mother Deb Dunham, caring for others was the way he lived his life. "Jason's nature was to always look out for others," she said. "He was a hero before this; it didn't take this for us to find that out."
Dunham was scheduled to come home from Iraq four months after he was killed in 2004. He volunteered to go to Iraq to be with some friends who were deploying at the same time. According to his mother, she feels sick to her stomach, because the image of his loss is still with her. She does not blame the military, because all he wanted to do was serve his country and he paid the ultimate price for freedom.
"I am not angry with the military. I just feel cheated I did not get a life time with him around," she said. "I will never forget what he did for his country. I believe everyone has a destiny and we will be reunited someday, but I will always miss him because of the wonderful memories he gave me."
The Navy also announced the newest Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer will be named USS Jason Dunham (DDG 109) in honor of the late corporal.
Ellie
Marine Barracks to be renamed for Medal of Honor winner
By MC2(SW) Michael Wiss, Periscope Staff
The heroic act of a former Kings Bay Marine giving his life to save his fellow Marines will be recognized in late June when Kings Bay's Marine Corps Security Force Barracks is renamed Cpl. Jason Dunham Barracks. Dunham, who served at Kings Bay from 2001-2003, became the first Marine since 1970 to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor, the military's highest award, for his battlefield heroism while serving in Iraq during Operation Enduring Freedom in 2004. Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Mullen approved the name change March 30.
Dunham, a 22-year-old machine gunner from Scio, N.Y., was manning a checkpoint around Karabilah near the Syrian border in Iraq on April 14, 2004, when an Iraqi man grabbed his throat. As the two scuffled using hand-to-hand combat, the Iraqi dropped a grenade with the pin removed and Dunham quickly jumped on it, using his Kevlar helmet and body to smother the blast and save the lives of two fellow Marines in the process. He died eight days later with his parents at his side at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. According to Lt. Col. Matthew Lopez, Commander of Kilo Company 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, (the unit Dunham was assigned to) Dunham's actions exhibited the ideals of courage and fortitude which are what the Medal of Honor was established to honor.
"I deeply believe that given the facts and evidence presented, he clearly understood the situation and attempted to block the blast of the grenade from his squad members," Lopez said in a statement in 2004. "His personal action was far beyond the call of duty and saved the lives of his fellow Marines."
Dunham stepped into the role of protector long ago. As a teenager, he put himself between a friend and an adversary to protect his buddy during a fight. He was a big brother advisor for his younger siblings. According to his mother Deb Dunham, caring for others was the way he lived his life. "Jason's nature was to always look out for others," she said. "He was a hero before this; it didn't take this for us to find that out."
Dunham was scheduled to come home from Iraq four months after he was killed in 2004. He volunteered to go to Iraq to be with some friends who were deploying at the same time. According to his mother, she feels sick to her stomach, because the image of his loss is still with her. She does not blame the military, because all he wanted to do was serve his country and he paid the ultimate price for freedom.
"I am not angry with the military. I just feel cheated I did not get a life time with him around," she said. "I will never forget what he did for his country. I believe everyone has a destiny and we will be reunited someday, but I will always miss him because of the wonderful memories he gave me."
The Navy also announced the newest Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer will be named USS Jason Dunham (DDG 109) in honor of the late corporal.
Ellie