From: Detachment Commandant
To: All Detachment Members and Present Guests
Subject: The Bob Weimann Achievement Award for Cpl Justin Sharrett
1. To all those present, greetings. This awarded is presented to Cpl Justin Sharratt for his actions on 19 November 2005, during combat action in the Iraqi city of Haditha. The purpose of this award is to recognize Cpl Sharrett’s exceptional bravery and demonstration of the United States Marine Corps values of Honor, Courage, Commitment and Presence of Mind.
2. On the morning of 5 November 2005, Cpl Sharrett was participating in a squad size motorized patrol providing support to his platoon and Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment in the Iraqi city of Haditha. An enemy IED (Improvised Explosive Device) initiated an ambush on Cpl Sharrett’s squad. Immediately after the explosion, the enemy commenced small arms fire on the squad’s wounded and corpman.
3. As the squad began to respond to enemy fire and treat wounded, they identified enemy fire coming from a house south of the Marine casualties. As the squad leader organized and commenced a counter attack on the house, Cpl Sharrett manned a machine gun delivering suppressive and covering fire while squad members crossed an open kill zone. This action enabled the squad to position itself next to the building without casualties and commence a clearing attack.
4. Cpl Sharrett would then man an OP with two other squad members to secure the ambush area while casualties were evacuated. While in this OP, SSgt Wuterich, the squad leader, Cpl Salinas and Cpl Sharratt observe some Iraqi males looking over an exterior house wall. After observing this activity for a few minutes, Cpl Salines fires a M203 round at the wall and they see the males run into house. A few minutes later the males return to the wall and SSgt Wuterich makes the decision to investigate with Salinas and Sharratt.
5. When they get to the house, the three Marines realize that the house is actually two buildings. They enter the first building and find only women and children. The women communicate to the Marines that the males are in the next house. Salinas is left to maintain security on the Iraqi’s in the first structure. SSgt Wuterich and Cpl Sharratt enter the main hallway of the second building with Sharratt leading. As they move to the house’s center, an enemy combatant suddenly confronts Cpl Sharratt from one of the interior doors with an AK-47.
6. At this point during this engagement, Cpl Sharratt demonstrates those exceptional Marine traits of bravery, presence of mind, aggressiveness and marksmanship. When the enemy Iraqi, with the AK-47 appears in the doorway, Cpl Sharratt’s aims his weapon and it jams. At the same time, the enemy’s weapon has a miss fire. The enemy combatant pops behind the wall and Cpl Sharratt begins to move to cover. As Cpl Sharratt is moving, the enemy pops back into the doorway with a cleared AK-47. Cpl Sharratt releases his jammed weapon, draws his pistol and drops the armed enemy with a headshot. Cpl Sharratt then attacks into the room; sees four more enemy combatants with another AK-47. He commences and continues fire on this group of enemy until his pistol is empty. He then calls to his squad leader that his pistol is empty, steps to the side and while SSgt Wuterich continues to fire until all four enemy are dead.
7. Cpl Sharrett reacted based on his training, teamwork and comaraderie. Both Marines survived because Cpl Sharratt possessed the presence of mind to draw his pistol, when his light machinegun jammed, and aggressively assault into a room full of enemy.
8. Cpl Sharrett’s bravery, marksmanship, commitment, and presence of mind significantly contributed to the success of this combat operation. As a member of Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, Cpl Sharrett demonstrated the United States Marine Corps' values of Honor, Courage, Commitment and Presence of Mind.
It is with great pride, we present Cpl Justin Sharrett, with the Marine Corps League, Semper Fidelis Detachment, Bob Weimann Achievement Award.
Robert J. Weimann
SgtMaj, USMC Ret.
I'm glad you were there, Smooth.