Happy 229th Birthday USMC

Rochester, N.Y. Marine, receives Navy Cross Submitted by: MCB Camp Pendleton Story Identification #: 200456162723 Story by Cpl. Jeremy Vought

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. (May 6, 2004) -- Marine Capt. Brian R. Chontosh received the Navy Cross Medal from the Commandant of the United States Marine Corps, Gen. Michael W. Hagee, during an awards ceremony Thursday at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Training Center, Twentynine Palms, Calif.

Chontosh, 29, from Rochester, N.Y. , received the naval service's second highest award for extraordinary heroism while serving as Combined Anti-Armor Platoon Commander, Weapons Company, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom March 25, 2003. The Medal of Honor is the highest military award.

While leading his platoon north on Highway 1 toward Ad Diwaniyah, Chontosh's platoon moved into a coordinated ambush of mortars, rocket propelled grenades and automatic weapons fire. With coalitions tanks blocking the road ahead, he realized his platoon was caught in a kill zone.

He had his driver move the vehicle through a breach along his flank, where he was immediately taken under fire from an entrenched machine gun. Without hesitation, Chontosh ordered the driver to advanced directly at the enemy position enabling his .50 caliber machine gunner to silence the enemy.

When a Marine following him found an enemy rocket propelled grenade launcher, Chontosh used it to destroy yet another group of enemy soldiers.

When his audacious attack ended, he had cleared over 200 meters of the enemy trench, killing more than 20 enemy soldiers and wounding several others.

"They are the reflection of the Marine Corps type who's service to the Marine Corps and country is held above their own safety and lives," said Gen. Hagee, commenting on the four Marines who received medals during the ceremony. "I'm proud to be here awarding the second highest and third highest awards for bravery to these great Marines."

"These four Marines are a reflection of every Marine and sailor in this great battalion," said Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps, Sgt. Maj. John L. Estrada.

"I was just doing my job, I did the same thing every other Marine would have done, it was just a passion and love for my Marines, the experience put a lot into perspective," said Chontosh.

In effect since April 1917, and established by an Act of Congress on Feb. 4, 1919, the Navy Cross may be awarded to any person who, while serving with the Navy or Marine Corps, distinguishes himself/herself in action by extraordinary heroism not justifying an award of the Medal of Honor.

The action must take place under one of three circumstances: while engaged in action against an enemy of the United States; while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing foreign force; or, while serving with friendly foreign forces engaged in an armed conflict in which the United States is not a belligerent party. To earn a Navy Cross the act to be commended must be performed in the presence of great danger or at great personal risk and must be performed in such a manner as to render the individual highly conspicuous among others of equal grade, rate, experience, or position of responsibility.

See my Profile - LadyX was a Classroom Subjects Instructor for women recruits at Parris Island during the Korean Conflict.

It was my high honor and privilege to participate in the Dedication Ceremony of the Iwo Jima Monument there in 1952.

Of the 8 Full Companies, WMs were Company A leading the Parade.

Out front was our Company Commander -- and me as Guidon Bearer, carrying the American Flag...

There were 35,000 Souls on Board in those days, the greatest buildup in Corps History, according to the Museum there.

I still miss the sounds of cadence calling on the training base..:))
It is a Marine's Mother's Lullaby...

GET SOME!!! HOO-RAH!!!

Tributes from the movie "Heartbreak Ridge" (Clint Eastwood)

"My name's Gunney Sgt Highway...and I've drunk more beer, p***ed more blood, banged more q*****, and busted more B****** than all you numb-n***s put together!"

"I'm not doing this 'cause I want to take long showers with you a**holes! And I DON'T want to get my head blown off, in some faraway land, because you don't HABLA...comprende?"

"I'm here to tell you all...that life as you know it...has ended. You might as well all go to town tonight. You might as well laugh, make fools of yourself...rub your pathetic little *******er against your honey, or stick it in a knothole in the fence. But whatever it is, get rid of it, because at 0600 tomorrow...YOUR ASS IS MINE."

"Now, it's my will against yours...and YOU WILL LOSE."

"If she's lookin' for more alimony, she's in real trouble this time, cause I got myself so broke, I couldn't get out of sight if it took a quarter to go around the world."

"The Marines are looking for a few good men. Unfortunately, you ain't it."

"We move swift, we move silent, we move deadly."

"We will blaze a path into battle for others to follow. Surrender is not in our creed."

"This is the AK47 assault rifle, the preferred weapon of our enemy. And it has a distinctive sound when fired at you, so remember it."

"I said, 'Don't give the p***k the satisfaction'...SIR."

"Well, what happens when these Marines have to go into combat, and they're not prepared? They just get dead."

(Regarding Lt. Ring's dr. appt) "Well, I hope it's nothing that will keep you out of the next war."

"People...let's have an equipment check. Weapon?...all right, let's keep it simple. You got your boots on; you're gonna walk right into combat. Let's go."

(CO) "What's your assessment of this alert?"
(Gunney) "It's a clusterf***."
(CO) "Say again?"
(Gunney) "Marines are fighting men, sir. They shouldn't be sittin' around on their sorry asses filling out request forms for...equipment they should already have."

"Well, you can...run me, and you can...starve me, you can...beat me, and you can kill me. Just...don't...bore me."

(Powers) "Your man cheated."
(Gunney) "I say he improvised."
(Powers) "HE CHEATED!"
(Gunney) "He adapted, he overcame!"

"Webster, if Powers ever comes to a sudden halt, your face is gonna go halfway up his ass."

"It was his time. And when your time comes, I don't give a damn how fast you run, your time is up."

"We, uh, lost the wars but we won the battles?...well, I'm not gonna lose the next one 'cause my men ain't ready."

"Well, if I were half as ugly as you, Sgt. Major--I'd be a poster boy for a prophylactic."

Honorable mention, from other than Gunney lines:

(Lt. Ring) "All right, you devil dogs...LET'S TAKE THAT F***ING HILLL!!!!!!!"

And my personal non-Gunney favorite...

(CO) "Are you new to the infantry, Major?"
(Powers) "Yes, sir, come over from Supply."
(CO)"Were you good at that?"
(Powers) "Yes, sir!"
(CO)"Then STICK to it...cause you're a walking clusterf**k as a superior officer! This is a Marine Amphibious Unit, Major! My men are hard-chargers! Lt. Ring and Gunnery Sgt. Highway took a group of young fire-p***ers, exercised some personal initiative, and KICKED ASS!"

"RECON!!!!!!"

Nice to know you are down in my home state keeping it safe, Joe..:))

Do I remember correctly you are in the Orlando area?
My second son, who lives in Lake Worth, will be in Orlando this weekend with his 12-year old son attending the Promisekeepers Convention that was postponed when Charley came to call.

He served in the Army - 'really, really hazardous duty' at Schofield Barracks in Hawaii, training most of his tour with FAA to become an Air Traffic Controller (later Supervisor/Trainer), so never got his uniform dirty..:))

Transitioned after the Army (with his college degree completed while he was in) into FAA in South Florida (Lauderdale and Miami, and up to WPB) - then after 9/11, sidestepped into the Transportation Security Agency at WPB International Airport. He is in charge of training there, is now 49, has 22 years of government service, and can retire at 55 if he chooses.
His oldest son is on a second tour in the Air Force in Communications, first at Tampa and now at Colorado Springs.

He then directed his driver into the enemy trench, where he exited his vehicle and began to clear the trench with an M16A2 service rifle and 9 millimeter pistol. His ammunition depleted, Chontosh, with complete disregard for his safety, twice picked up discarded enemy rifles and continued his ferocious attack.
When a Marine following him found an enemy rocket propelled grenade launcher, Chontosh used it to destroy yet another group of enemy soldiers.

When his audacious attack ended, he had cleared over 200 meters of the enemy trench, killing more than 20 enemy soldiers and wounding several others.

SEMPER FI .. HERO!

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