Posted on 05/05/2006 4:01:18 PM PDT by SandRat
MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. (May 4, 2006) -- Sgt. Maj. Bradley A. Kasal feels he did what any good Marine would’ve done.
That includes taking enemy rifle fire on Nov. 14, 2004, absorbing a grenade blast and refusing medical attention inside Fallujah’s “House of Hell” during Operation Al Fajr (New Dawn).
For his extraordinary heroism and leadership in Fallujah, Iraq, as the Weapons Company first sergeant for 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Kasal was awarded the Navy Cross during a ceremony here Monday.
“The word hero is tossed around pretty loosely these days,” said Maj. Gen. Michael R. Lehnert, Commanding General of Marine Corps Installations West, after awarding Kasal with the Naval service’s second-highest decoration, in front of an audience that included the 1st Marine Division’s past and present commanding generals, Lt. Gen. James N. Mattis and Maj. Gen. Richard F. Natonski, respectively.
”Some may call a basketball player a hero for scoring the winning goal or a celebrity for donating a small portion of their earnings to a good cause, but Kasal is a true American hero.”
When then-1st Sgt. Kasal assisted one of his platoons with an over watch inside Fallujah that day, intense gunfire broke out in an Iraqi home to his immediate front.
Seconds later, Marines were rapidly exiting the building, known as the “House of Hell.” “That house was a death trap,” said Maj. Gen. Lehnert.
“It was set up for one purpose: to kill United States Marines.” Kasal could have easily stayed out of the house.”
When he found out that there were Marines still pinned down inside the infamous house, nothing the insurgents could put on the table would stop him from rescuing his Marines.
“Going in for them was the right thing to do,” said Kasal, 39, who hails from Afton, Iowa. “They’re Marines, and I’m a Marine. We look out for each other.”
Upon entry of the house, Kasal found himself face-to-face with an insurgent who he neutralized at extreme close range. Shortly afterwards, AK-47 gunfire was coming from all directions, and Kasal was hit from behind.
“While I was in that house, I made three life or death decisions,” Kasal said. “I never thought I would live through any of them, but I did what I did to help the other Marines.”
The first decision Kasal made was to expose himself to enemy fire in order to pull another wounded Marine out of the line of fire. Kasal took more enemy fire doing this.
While both Marines were under cover, they assessed their wounds. Both had multiple injuries, but there were only enough bandages for one of them to live.
Kasal made his second decision to forfeit his medical supplies to the other Marine.
“It made more sense to use all of the bandages on one of us then to split the supplies and have us both bleed to death,” Kasal said.
The insurgents deployed a hand grenade to get the Marines out of cover, and it landed within a few feet of the two bleeding Marines.
Kasal then decided to use his own severely wounded body to protect the Marine from shrapnel.
By the time he was carried out of the house by Lance Cpl. Chris Marquez and Lance Cpl. Dan Shaffer as Lucian M. Reed, an Associated Press photographer snapped the iconic photo displayed at Marine Corps installations all over the globe, Kasal had lost approximately 60 percent of his blood from more than 40 shrapnel wounds and seven 7.62 mm AK-47 gunshots.
One day prior to being awarded the Navy Cross Kasal’s father passed away.
However, a live video teleconference feed to Kasal’s hometown provided his mother, family members and friends an opportunity to watch him receive the Navy Cross, be promoted to the rank of sergeant major and reenlist for three years.
“It’s been a very emotional week,” Kasal said. “I am blessed to recover from my injuries, which the doctors thought would never happen, and regain my place in the Marine Corps. I would take the pain of surgeries any day over the pain of being away from my Marines.”
Every time I read of Americans like Kasal and remember the men I served with, I wonder how our country can get it so wrong when it comes to politics.
Exactly what I was thinking. To compare the two is like......no words.....there is no comparison.
Wait, yes there is.
One group loves this country and believes in it so much they are willing to die for it.
While the other group...is trying to destroy this country.
Sad.
One each, heart felt, retired military, salute to Sgt. Maj. Bradley A. Kasal.
A true American.
Is this the story that was told so compellingly by a blogger (Michael Yon perhaps?). Whether it is or not, Sgt. Maj. Kasal is quite a hero and is certainly deserving of this honor. May God bless him and keep him!
Perhaps a Marine here can fill me in. In the Army, you don't re-enlist after an enlistment that carries you past 10 years of service. Is it the same in the Marines? If so, this is a young SGM.
I wish there were something I could do to support the Marines. I'm just a fat slow guy so I can't join and I'm a poor college student so I can't donate any money to any "Marine" causes. :-(
Does the Airforce or Navy take people with my "qualifications?"
Love those Marines...in my next life I'm gonna be looking for a Marine!
Could end up as that. Many times in the past the Navy, AF Cross, or Distinguished Service Cross for the Army end up being replaced later with the MOH.
Join and support the College Republican/Conservative Club on Campus. If there isn't one form one and then FReep the daylights out of the college lefties on campus as well as in the college town.
... I wonder how our country can get it so wrong when it comes to politics.
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It is amazing and sad.
Thank you for your service, sir.
Thank you for your service, sir.
I used to be proud to be an American. Now I am deeply humbled that I may associate myself with such men (and women) by mere accident of birth.
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Oh, I feel that too. (Hey, you made me cry.)
Thank you for your service, sir.
A big ol' AF salute to Jarheads everywhere. Hooahh dudes, you are the best.
God bless you, Sgt. Maj. Kasal, and thank you for your service and heroism.
Me too. Every time.
You really want to lose it, say it to a man or woman in uniform. I had the privilege of doing just that on several occasions. Most notably to a NG soldier who had arrived back from Iraq on the very day his unit came back. Bumped into him in the restroom at The Outback.
BTW, The Outback sends chefs, steaks and Blooming Onions to the troops on the ground in Iraq...
Excellent Idea. But I don't think the government would like me designing weapons in my basement. I'm doing computer science.
We just picked up dinner from Outback. I figured we should "buy American" today. =)
My family and I thank everyone we see in uniform, including fire and police. We call them "The Good Guys" to our little ones, point them out proudly, and thank them profusely. (#1 Grandson--age 5--can snap off quite a salute!) We make it a point to stop by recruiting offices in malls and thank everybody in there--recruiters and candidates both. It makes my day every time I get a chance to thank some wonderful person for putting his/her life on the line to protect mine.
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