Something That Didn't Make The News (Story of recent Navy Cross Recipient)

Email ^ | May 7, 2004 | Bob Lonsberry

[jigsaw]

Maybe you’d like to hear about something other than idiot Reservists and naked Iraqis.

Maybe you’d like to hear about a real American, somebody who honored the uniform he wears.

Meet Brian Chontosh.

Churchville-Chili Central School class of 1991. Proud graduate of the Rochester Institute of Technology. Husband and about-to-be father. First lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps.

And a genuine hero.

The secretary of the Navy said so yesterday.

At 29 Palms in California Brian Chontosh was presented with the Navy Cross, the second highest award for combat bravery the United States can bestow.

That’s a big deal.

But you won’t see it on the network news tonight, and all you read in Brian’s hometown newspaper was two paragraphs of nothing. Instead, it was more blather about some mental defective MPs who acted like animals.

The odd fact about the American media in this war is that it’s not covering the American military. The most plugged-in nation in the world is receiving virtually no true information about what its warriors are doing.

Oh, sure, there’s a body count. We know how many Americans have fallen. And we see those same casket pictures day in and day out. And we’re almost on a first-name basis with the pukes who abused the Iraqi prisoners. And we know all about improvised explosive devices and how we lost Fallujah and what Arab public-opinion polls say about us and how the world hates us.

We get a non-stop feed of gloom and doom.

But we don’t hear about the heroes.

The incredibly brave GIs who honorably do their duty. The ones our grandparents would have carried on their shoulders down Fifth Avenue.

The ones we completely ignore.

Like Brian Chontosh.

It was a year ago on the march into Baghdad. Brian Chontosh was a platoon leader rolling up Highway 1 in a humvee.

When all hell broke loose.

Ambush city.

The young Marines were being cut to ribbons. Mortars, machine guns, rocket propelled grenades. And the kid out of Churchville was in charge. It was do or die and it was up to him.

So he moved to the side of his column, looking for a way to lead his men to safety. As he tried to poke a hole through the Iraqi line his humvee came under direct enemy machine gun fire.

It was fish in a barrel and the Marines were the fish.

And Brian Chontosh gave the order to attack. He told his driver to floor the humvee directly at the machine gun emplacement that was firing at them. And he had the guy on top with the .50 cal unload on them.

Within moments there were Iraqis slumped across the machine gun and Chontosh was still advancing, ordering his driver now to take the humvee directly into the Iraqi trench that was attacking his Marines. Over into the battlement the humvee went and out the door Brian Chontosh bailed, carrying an M16 and a Beretta and 228 years of Marine Corps pride.

And he ran down the trench.

With its mortars and riflemen, machineguns and grenadiers.

And he killed them all.

He fought with the M16 until he was out of ammo. Then he fought with the Beretta until it was out of ammo. Then he picked up a dead man’s AK47 and fought with that until it was out of ammo. Then he picked up another dead man’s AK47 and fought with that until it was out of ammo.

At one point he even fired a discarded Iraqi RPG into an enemy cluster, sending attackers flying with its grenade explosion.

When he was done Brian Chontosh had cleared 200 yards of entrenched Iraqis from his platoon’s flank. He had killed more than 20 and wounded at least as many more.

But that’s probably not how he would tell it.

He would probably merely say that his Marines were in trouble, and he got them out of trouble. Hoo-ah, and drive on.

“By his outstanding display of decisive leadership, unlimited courage in the face of heavy enemy fire, and utmost devotion to duty, 1st Lt. Chontosh reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service.”

That’s what the citation says.

And that’s what nobody will hear.

That’s what doesn’t seem to be making the evening news. Accounts of American valor are dismissed by the press as propaganda, yet accounts of American difficulties are heralded as objectivity. It makes you wonder if the role of the media is to inform, or to depress – to report or to deride. To tell the truth, or to feed us lies.

But I guess it doesn’t matter.

We’re going to turn out all right.

As long as men like Brian Chontosh wear our uniform.

- by Bob Lonsberry © 2004

[StarCMC]

Thank God for Brian Chontosh and others like him!

[Valin]

Gotta LOVE it!

[SAMWolf]

But we don’t hear about the heroes.

The incredibly brave GIs who honorably do their duty. The ones our grandparents would have carried on their shoulders down Fifth Avenue.

The ones we completely ignore. Free Press my a$$. We have the Ministry of Disinformation for the Liberals and Democrats who use the news to push the Socialist Agenda.

[Steelerfan]

Great story that sadly you won't find anywhere else.

[Right Wing Puppy]

Quick Links




News From The Front
Depot Marine awarded Bronze Star
Submitted by: MCRD San Diego
Story Identification Number: 200442174714
Story by Lance Cpl. Jess Levens



MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT SAN DIEGO, Calif.(April 2, 2004) -- A Depot Marine was awarded the Bronze Star with combat "V" March 17 for courageous acts in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

First Lt. Matt Zummo, assistant series commander, Special Training Company, stood before Brig. Gen. John M. Paxton Jr., commanding general, Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego and the Western Recruiting Region, and a formation of his fellow Marines to receive his award.

"It's a great honor to get this award," said Zummo. "I don't feel like I did anything special to earn it though. I know any Marine I served with would have performed just as well in the situation."

Zummo served as the Scout Platoon commander, 2nd Tank Battalion in Iraq. The battalion was on the move, and Zummo led much of the way. He used his expertise in navigation and didn't make any wrong turns or miss any objectives.

The Marines encountered heavy fire from the enemy April 3, 2003, as they neared the town of Al Aziziyah. He continued to report enemy positions and activities until a rocket-propelled grenade hit his Humvee. Shrapnel from the blast lodged into his lower back, causing severe bleeding.

"I didn't even know I was hit until I saw the blood on my hands," said Zummo. "The corpsman looked at it and told me there was shrapnel in my back."

Zummo had to leave on a medical evacuation.

"Leaving my fellow Marines on the battlefield was the hardest thing I've had to do," said Zummo. "I didn't want to leave them."

Capt. Theodore P. Sudmeyer, commanding officer, Company A, 2nd Tank Bn., wrote in his official statement, "When I last saw Lt. Zummo, he gave up his personal (Global Positioning System) to me to replace another that had been destroyed by a sniper's bullet."

Lance Cpl. Rhett W. Rowland was the driver of Zummo's vehicle and reported that even after his injuries, Zummo refused to leave the fight. He wrote, "Lt Zummo's actions during combat in the town of Al Aziziyah were unselfish, calm, collected, extremely brave, extremely courageous and always with honor."

After Zummo returned to the U.S., he was assigned to STC here.

"I just did what any Marine would do," said Zummo. "That is to accomplish the mission no matter what."

-30-




Photos included with story:


Depot Commanding General Brig. Gen John M. Paxton Jr., pins the Bronze Star with combat "V" on 1st Lt. Matt Zummo, assistant series commander, Special Training Company. Photo by: Lance Cpl. Jess Levens

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[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Thank you, jigsaw!

God bless Marine Capt. Brian R. Chontosh, and his three brave fellow Marine heroes!

              

8 Houston Marine receives Navy Cross ~ Pfc. Joseph B. Perez ~ Marine Link | 5/06/04 | Cpl. Luis Agostini

[Valin]

I want to know what's going on in the war, bad as well as good. But what gets me is all most people get is the bad, ok fine but could they throw me a bone once in awhile?
I mean say 5 bad stories one good, 5 to 1, I don't think I'm being unreasonable here.

The thing that amazes me is the support for what we are doing in Iraq remains so high.

[SAMWolf]

I want to know what's going on in the war, bad as well as good

So do I ,but you rarely hear any "good" stories in the main stream press. If all you haeard from was the main media you'd think the war was lost and our forces totally destroyed.

[Khurkris]

Well Done Troop!

[Wu]

I agree.

[TankerKC]

I see a lot of empty space in tag lines on FR. Why not put them to good use. Honor a fallen or decorated patriot.

Roadside bomb, rocket kill two Fort Lewis soldiers in Iraq (Family Friend)

[windchime]

Bump!

[American_Centurion]

The media may not give him any attention, but through his courage and tenacity he has earned himself a revered title no rewriting of history can remove. Semper Fi!

[Valin]

You mean it's not?

/worldclass sarcasm

[GrandEagle]

Great post! Thanks.

[SAMWolf]

You haven't been paying attention, have you?. ;-)

[Tallguy]

Has a CMH been awarded for any actions in Afghanistan or Iraq at this time?

there was that Navy Seal who was killed while manning a SAW on the tailgait of a CH-47 in Afghanistan -- you might remember they got zapped by an RPG & he fell out of the jinking helo, and was killed fighting of the Taliban militiamen. Took a bunch with him.

That's the only CMOH that I recall offhand.

[not2worry]

I thank God for men like Marine Chontosh.

Pray for all our Troops to be given the power to prevail over evil and return safely home to the arms of their loved ones.

[not2worry]

I thank God for men like Marine Chontosh.

Pray for all our Troops to be given the power to prevail over evil and return safely home to the arms of their loved ones.