Marine To Be Awarded Navy Cross Posthumously

[thedrifter]

Marine To Be Awarded Navy Cross Posthumously
Peralta Killed In Fallujah

Updated 1:04 PM PST, Mon, Oct 6, 2008

A Marine would be posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for his valor while he was in Iraq nearly four years ago, Navy officials announced Wednesday, September 17.

According to a news release, Marine Sgt. Rafael Peralta was a member of a unit assigned to the 1st Marine Division during in an assault on the insurgent-held city of Fallujah. After clearing houses the previous three days, he agreed to join an under-manned squad and volunteered to stand post during the night of Nov. 14, 2004, which allowed his fellow Marines some time to rest.

The following morning, after clearing a house, Peralta was caught in crossfire between insurgents and Marines, leaving him mortally wounded.

The insurgents threw a fragmentation grenade as they left the building, and Peralta reached out and pulled the grenade to his body. Peralta absorbed the brunt of the blast, shielding his fellow Marines only feet away. Peralta then succumbed to his wounds, according to the news release.

Peralta was born on April 7, 1979, in Mexico. He emigrated to the United States and joined the Marine Corps on April 17, 2000. He later became an American citizen.

Details on the award presentation were to be announced at a later date, according to the news release.

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Hero deserves Medal of Honor

November 5, 2008 - 8:02PM

The battles to secure Fallujah, Iraq, were many and fierce with many lives lost. But the story of Fallujah is a success as witnessed by the recent visit by our commander in chief. On Nov. 15, 2004, a young marine sergeant by the name of Rafael Peralta led his Marines in one of those violently fierce battles.

Sgt. Peralta was wounded numerous times, the last a very serious head wound. With the nightmarish chaos of the battle around him, Peralta lay there on the ground dying, or maybe not. Out of nowhere an insurgent lobbed a hand grenade. Peralta reached out and pulled the grenade under his body taking the full blast sacrificing his life to save his fellow Marines.

This was the eyewitness report given by the very men whose lives Peralta saved. The report was forwarded to the Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. The United States Marine Corps recommended that Sgt. Peralta be awarded the nation's highest military award, the Medal of Honor. Secretary Gates formed a committee to review the Marines request.

Recently, almost four years to the month, the Peralta family was notified in person by one of the Marine Corps top generals, Lt. Gen. Natonski, that the Gates appointed committee had rejected the Marines' recommendation to award Peralta the Medal of Honor, and instead the Secretary of the Navy would award Peralta the Navy Cross posthumously for extraordinary heroism.

Gen. Natonski said the decision was based on the opinion of Col. Eric Berg, an army pathologist. Col. Berg determined that Peralta would have been "incapable of scooping the grenade under his body to protect his fellow Marines because the gunshot wound he had suffered would have prevented such heroics."

The Gates appointed panel overlooked the five eyewitness reports and concluded that the reports on Peraltas' action did not meet the standard of "no margin of doubt or possibility of error." Their logic centered on whether Peralta could have intentionally reached for the grenade after suffering such a serious head wound.

The opinion of this five man panel leaves me somewhat confused and leads one to wonder, since when did the Department of the Navy award the Navy Cross to someone who is shot and just happens to fall on a grenade?

While meeting with Rosa Peralta, Sgt. Peralta's mother, Lt. Gen. Natonski told her that her son's first wound could have come from friendly fire. To quote a recent phrase, "You can put lipstick on a pig but it's still a pig." A friendly fire wound, or an enemy fire wound, it is still a wound.

Sgt. Peralta deserves the Medal of Honor. Even President Bush commented on Peralta's bravery in one of his speeches, telling the nation about Peralta's heroism while saving his fellow comrades. The president should use his executive powers to overturn the Gates appointed panel and award Peralta the Medal of Honor and not the Navy Cross.

Peralta was only 25 years old. Peralta is a hero.


--
FRED RICHARD
Foothills


Ellie