Corporal Jason Dunham
Kilo Company, Third Battalion, Seventh Marine Regiment
Requiescat in Pacem
Posted on 05/25/2004 5:38:57 AM PDT by Rutles4Ever
AL QA'IM, Iraq -- Early this spring, Cpl. Jason Dunham and two other Marines sat in an outpost in Iraq and traded theories on surviving a hand-grenade attack.
Second Lt. Brian "Bull" Robinson suggested that if a Marine lay face down on the grenade and held it between his forearms, the ceramic bulletproof plate in his flak vest might be strong enough to protect his vital organs. His arms would shatter, but he might live.
Cpl. Dunham had another idea: A Marine's Kevlar helmet held over the grenade might contain the blast. "I'll bet a Kevlar would stop it," he said, according to Second Lt. Robinson.
"No, it'll still mess you up," Staff Sgt. John Ferguson recalls saying.
It was a conversation the men would remember vividly a few weeks later, when they saw the shredded remains of Cpl. Dunham's helmet, apparently blown apart from the inside by a grenade. Fellow Marines believe Cpl. Dunham's actions saved the lives of two men and have recommended him for the Medal of Honor, an award that no act of heroism since 1993 has garnered.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
If you can get a copy of the Journal today, this is well worth the dollar.
Agreed, this is a MUCH more important story than Algore trying to combine his failed, pet, global warming theory with the "nuclear winter" theory, which used science to debunk global warming a coupla decades ago. Which is why the mass media is ignoring it, as they ignore the murder of Nick Berg.
So his helmet blew up...what's the rest of the story?
I'm looking forward to the day when many of the Iraq stories find light. This country is in dire need of a reality check and I can't think of a better way to make it happen. Paul Smith's story is also very moving... jumped into a Humvee and pulled away from his position where a number of GIs were wounded and pinned down...he pulled out into the open, drawing fire to him, he got up top and started firing the 50 cal at the enemy until a bullet caught him in the neck and killed him. The rest of the GIs apparently got help and prevailed in the fight. Heroes all.
Me too. The only way that will happen is at the grass roots level, as soldiers return home and tell the truth about events in Iraq. I've got a dozen family members in Iraq and Afghanistan. Hubby has more due to the fact that his family is so huge. The mass media will ignore their stories except when they're busy Winter Soldier-ing them. Expect the Winter Soldier-ing of veterans of the WoT to intensify as November approaches.
Alas, I can only excerpt it from WSJ. The helmet blew up with him on top of it. He survived for roughly 48 hours and his family had one last chance to see him at bedside, but it was already too late. He had shrapnel in his brain that slipped down and became inoperable.
Get off your butt and go buy the Journal ;-) . Trust me, it's worth it.
He was indeed a hero. We all cried when we read his story this morning in the WSJ.
sent an email to dubya telling him to include matter like this in his speeches - no one else will report it.
This dude deserves a MoH
Corporal Jason Dunham
Kilo Company, Third Battalion, Seventh Marine Regiment
Requiescat in Pacem
Sounds like his wounds were almost as bad a John Kerry's.
He was in Vietnam, you know.
R.I.P., Marine.
His brain was badly injured and his parents were called to his side. The doctors sid that he would never recover and would only deteriorate. He had left it to his dad to decide when to pull the plug and made the decision. His unit in Iraq was told that the decision had been made and the orderes would be carried out in 2 hours. The entire unit gathered together and prayed fervently for the entire two hours for Jason's recovery until news of his death reached them.
He has been nominate for the Medal of Honor, the only Marine so far.
Note to the media: These are the people I save my tears for. I moved on from prisoner abuse weeks ago.
RIP Marine.
Great post and thanks to the inginuity of a damn fine Marine. Give him the MOH!
Blurry monitor ping
Semper Fi Bump
God speed, Marine, and may He welcome you into His Kingdom.
"It will be a cold day in hell before Dan Rather and the others tell news stories like this. They hate military and they hate Bush and are doing every thing they can to defeat both and they do know their bias is killing American Soldiers by giving propaganda victories to the enemy."
That's a fact.
A moving a well written story from the Journal.
Almighty Father, whose command is over all and whose love never fails, make me aware of Thy presence and obedient to Thy will. Keep me true to my best self, guarding me against dishonesty in purpose and deed and helping me to live so that I can face my fellow Marines, my loved ones, and Thee without shame or fear. Protect my family.
Give me the will to do the work of a Marine and to accept my share of responsibilities with vigor and enthusiasm. Grant me the courage to be proficient in my daily performance. Keep me loyal and faithful to my superiors and to the duties my Country and the Marine Corps have entrusted to me. Help me to wear my uniform with dignity, and let it remind me daily of the traditions which I must uphold.
If I am inclined to doubt, steady my faith; if I am tempted, make me strong to resist; if I should miss the mark, give me courage to try again.
Guide me with the light of truth and grant me wisdom by which I may understand the answer to my prayer.
Rest in Peace.
This guy is a hero.
FYI. Caution: A tearjerker but a must read.
Thank God for men like Marine Cpl. Jason Dunham. Their stories will not die. As long as loved ones, their military families - and others who are paying attention, and who do care, remember, and pass them on.
8 Marine who threw himself between grenade and squadron mourned in N.Y. ~ AP via MSNBC | May 1, 2004
R.I.P.
MOH recommendation ping
One of these virtuous men is worth more than all of the liberals on the planet.
Star, this is the same story you and I talked about a couple of weeks ago, just has a bit more detail now.
Looks like a big-time paper picked up the USMC press release.
And I agree wholeheartedly, this young man is definitely worthy of a nomination to receive the MOH.
I was pretty sure it was the same one!! Looks like we were right and someone else thought he deserved it too!!
What do you mean, grown men will - wait a second, my eyes got all blurry.
Not only are men like him honorable heroes, their very sacrifce and courage put to shame the leftist skunks who dishoner them. And leftists other than the media, too.
Semper Fidelis, Cpl. Dunham, and God bless you and keep you.
Semper Fi ping, and R.I.P....
I cried when reading it - like a baby. The tears were streaming down my cheeks. That has not happened to me in a long time. The article was that well written, and that moving.
God bless his soul.
LETTERS to the Editor, May 28, 2004
'The Last Full Measure of Devotion'
I wish to express to your reporter Michael M. Phillips my gratitude for bringing forth this heart-wrenching, important story ("Act of Valor: In Combat, Marine Put Theory to Test, Comrades Believe," May 25), which I will share with my family. It was written in a dignified and poignant way. My heart goes out to the family of Cpl. Jason Dunham; my heart is broken for them. Thank you for reporting about the true heroes who put their lives on the line to protect my freedom. Their efforts do not go unnoticed, thanks to reporters like you. My thoughts and prayers go out to their families.
Thomas G. Haupt
Phoenix, Ariz.
Your article brought tears to my eyes. I thank Jason Dunham, posthumously, for his valor, bravery and sacrifice, and to all military service personnel for their sacrifice for our country and freedom.
For those who feel this courageous man died in vain, please remember the first World Trade Center bombing, Sept. 11, the Madrid train bombing, embassy bombings, the USS Cole attack, shoe bomber Richard Reid, the Bali nightclub bombing and the many other attempts to terrorize the world. Our soldiers are bravely defending the homeland against all enemies, foreign and domestic.
Christopher J. Fuller
Former U.S. Air Force Enlisted
Jacksonville, Fla.
What a contrast between your two page-one lead stories on May 25. A young Marine who made the ultimate sacrifice, and the New York Stock Exchange executive who gave himself a 13 rating out of a possible 10 and won't sacrifice any of the millions he "earned" ("Spitzer Files Suit Seeking Millions of Grasso Money").
Claire McPherson
Gualala, Calif.
I'm sorry. I've been crying. And I can't stop.
After reading your article about Mr. Grasso's compensation (legal or not), his blistering op-ed response, and your editorial -- and whatever all that petty bickering suggests about sums so enormous that few Americans can even imagine them -- I read Mr. Phillips's moving story about Cpl. Dunham's selfless heroism. I lingered on his every word, every moment, every explosion, every turn for the worse, every hope for survival. Then the devastating news: "At 4:43 p.m. on April 22, 2004, Marine Cpl. Jason L. Dunham died."
Look, I'm just a businessman. And a Republican, too. But I hope and pray that all of us who have basked in the glorious financial excesses of modern-day managers' capitalism will take a brief timeout from all of our getting and our self-important lives, get down on our knees and say a prayer for those who have given -- sadly, on our behalf -- what Lincoln called "the last full measure of devotion."
Maybe then my tears will dry. But I hope not.
John C. Bogle
Valley Forge, Pa.
(Mr. Bogle is founder and former CEO of The Vanguard Group.)
Cpl. Dunham's name will be long remembered with honor, while Mr. Grasso's will always be linked with shameful avarice.
Gabriel Alvandian
West Haven, Conn.
I wanted to thank Mr. Phillips for the heartfelt and reverent story of Cpl. Dunham. I plan to read it to my two young sons tonight before bed. I must admit I cried when his parents removed the life support. What an incredible soldier! I wish he had survived. Cpl. Dunham and his family will be in our prayers.
Bob Glover
Princeton, N.J.
I find very little press worth reading. As an American and former Marine, I thank you for your kind words on one of the many souls who have sacrificed their life and liberty for this country. I had the pleasure of serving with countless Marines who resemble the profile of Cpl. Dunham and can assure you that there are scores of soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines who are of similar character. In these trying times it is good to see that some journalists and editors are willing to give old depressed vets, like me, something to be proud of: a common hero.
We need Americans to know that Adm. Nimitz's World War II words -- "uncommon valor was a common virtue" -- are still alive today. Semper Fidelis.
John H. Sawtelle
San Jose, Calif.
I read with sadness about Cpl. Dunham's bravery. I am not sure if there was a motive -- make us feel angry about the war, make us feel patriotic in seeing the great sacrifice. For me, I see the nobility of our young men who die for one another, and the members of our incredible medical corps, who save the hero and the enemy with the same compassion. We are not a perfect nation -- yes, we are deeply flawed in some of our actions. But we are unique in the history of mankind for our humanity in the brutality of it all. I grieve for his loss and ache with his parents. Thank you for telling his story.
John Desmond Pitt
Atlanta
As a captivated watcher of the History Channel's "Band of Brothers," I have been reflecting on the contrast between the bravery, honor and sense of duty shared by the men who participated in the D-Day Invasion, and the behavior of the soldiers who took part in the Abu Ghraib prison debacle. I had forgotten that most of the soldiers in our volunteer armed forces share the valor of those who came before. I am pleased that the Journal saw fit to point that out. God bless the parents of hero Jason Dunham.
Susan Kramer
Wilmette, Ill.
I just read your article while beginning my lunch, and I became overwhelmed by the tragic display of heroism. Indeed, I'm finding it difficult to focus on anything other than your article right now. Maybe that is as it should be. This war has obviously become, maybe it always was, more difficult than I believe the American public ever imagined. The politics of the war can be left for another day. Today, I would just like to say thank you to an American hero, Cpl. Dunham, for trying to make the world a safer place and for succeeding to that end for two of his comrades. I would also like to thank the Dunhams for raising a son to become the type of man he obviously became. My condolences to them for their great sacrifice. And lastly, I would like to thank the Journal for bringing it to the front page. I thought I was going to catch up on the latest financial news during a quick lunch. But I find myself in tears and unable to think about anything other than that very brave, young soldier.
Mark Cavanagh
Peabody, Mass.
Cpl. Dunham is a true representative of the honor and valor of the average American. Given the history and track record of our nation's leaders, President Bush and his administration have let Jason Dunham and his family down. And for that I am ashamed.
Lewis Goldberg
Short Hills, N.J.
When our son, a Marine Corps corporal, calls home from Iraq, he always asks the same question -- "Dad, do you think the American people are turning their backs on the military?" My response is always the same. "Some on the left, who hate President Bush more than they love liberty, and many in the mainstream media, perhaps, but not the people."
Ed Johnson
Lumberton, N.C.
As the war in Iraq wears on I have started to avoid reading about it. The articles always seem to be more interested in conveying criticism than news, and, to be quite frank, the ones that cover newsworthy items are often grim. When I saw May 25's front page, I figured here is another Iraq story where I will read the first paragraph and then move on. Instead, I found myself reading the entire article. The job that Mr. Phillips did on this piece was phenomenal.
I want to thank Mr. Phillips for writing such a fantastic piece, and I wish to commend his editor and the news staff for keeping politics out of this article and for letting Jason Dunham's courage and sacrifice be known.
I know that few news organizations have been as deeply touched by the events on and since 9/11 as The Wall Street Journal. It seems overly simple to say thank you, but at this moment in time I think the simple things in life are sometimes best.
Michael F. Frate
Long Beach, Calif.
What a phenomenal response. I hope this story gets legs and makes a mainstream paper, but then I've been know to be a dreamer.
It's amazing how someone you don't even know made the world a better place without you even knowing it... Something we all should reflect on.
BTW, great letter from the Vanguard CEO. Wow.
I appreciated the contrast between Mr. Goldberg's response and the response, immediately following, of Mr. Johnson.
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