Posted on 12/06/2004 8:32:25 PM PST by Former Military Chick
SAN DIEGO Sgt. Rafael Peralta is dead, but the story of his sacrifice to save fellow Marines will live long in Marine Corps lore.
In the fierce battle for the Iraqi town of Fallouja, Peralta, with gunshot wounds to his head and body, reached out and grabbed a grenade hurled by an insurgent, cradling it to his body to save others from the blast.
Garry Morrison, the father of Lance Cpl. Adam Morrison, had trouble keeping his voice from breaking when he spoke of Peralta.
"He saved the life of my son and every Marine in that room," Morrison said in a phone call from Seattle. "I just know one thing: God has a special place in heaven for Sgt. Peralta."
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He joined in 2000 and recently had reenlisted. While in the Marines, he became a U.S. citizen. The only decorations on his bedroom walls are a copy of the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights and a picture of his boot camp graduation.
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Hit several times in the chest and once in the head, Peralta went down and appeared dead. Insurgents tossed a "yellow, foreign-made, oval-shaped" grenade toward the Marines.
To the amazement of the other Marines, Peralta, apparently with his last bit of strength, "reached out and pulled the grenade into his body," said Kaemmerer, a combat correspondent from the 1st Force Service Support Group assigned to the battalion.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
I support our troops being in Iraq, but each of these stories about heros who gave their all, cause me great sadness. They also cause me great pride.
While it's easy for me to wax on about the heroism and pride this man exhibited, he paid the ultimate price and I didn't. While I can tell his parents he died for an excellent cause, it is their son that is dead.
There are no words that adequately address the death of one of these fine men. It hurts so much, but yet the war effort must go on. Perhaps the only thing we can do, is make sure that these men who fight for us, never want for anything, when it comes to being fully equipped and supported while doing their duty.
God bless them all. Our men and women in Iraq are greatly appreciated and respected at our household.
Sgt. Rafael Peralta, thank you.
Thanks for the post Former Military Chick.
This man was really a hero. May God forgive me but I can not help but contrast this man's heroic acts with that of another man who some insist we call a war hero. None other than sen. j.f. kerry.
ping
IMHO, Sgt. Rafael Peralta is a worthy candidate for our nation's highest award for valor -- the Congressional Medal of Honor .
bump
Superb.
I had read about this somewhere else, and believe it is being reviewed for a (posthumous) C.M.O.H.
There is no comparsion, of this hero, and the commie scum, JFKerry.....
If this isn't worthy of a Congressional Medal of Honor, what is?
This reminds me of something that George Patton said that seems somewhat apropos (I paraphrase) "rather than mourn such men as these, Let us be grateful that they lived." With respect to the great general, I think that I will both mourn and celebrate this great Marine.
Wow, thank you so much for adding such a wonderful comment to the thread!
Worth repeating.
RIP Marine, SALUTE!
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