Hayne Palmour IV / North County Times
Marine 2nd Lt. Chad Cassady, 33, shows his Silver Star to his wife, Summer, and to his mother and father after he received the medal at Camp Pendleton on Wednesday.
Posted on 10/21/2007 4:04:52 PM PDT by Dubya
CAMP PENDLETON -- As a sniper, Sgt. Chad Cassady, a quiet Texan with a master's degree in political science, helped protect his fellow Marines during the battle in Fallouja, Iraq, in late 2004.
But when insurgent mortars fell behind and in front of the Marines -- a tactic called "bracketing" -- Cassady and other Marines were forced to run across a rubble-strewn street. When another mortar landed in their midst, two Marines were knocked to the ground and Cassady was thrown into the courtyard of a home.
The explosion collapsed his right lung, lacerated his liver and kidneys, and peppered his knee and leg with shrapnel. Although he was bleeding and dazed, he immediately went back into the street to drag two wounded Marines to safety as insurgent gunfire rained down.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
Hayne Palmour IV / North County Times
Marine 2nd Lt. Chad Cassady, 33, shows his Silver Star to his wife, Summer, and to his mother and father after he received the medal at Camp Pendleton on Wednesday.
I couldn’t get up off the ground much less save somebody else.
This is a GROWN ASS MAN.
I salute his actions. He is a credit to our military and our nation.
Got to love any and all Marines, especially one who could have gone to OCS and did it the hard way. Go Mustang!
I do not fear for the future as long as heroes like this exist in this nation.
Ladies and gentlemen...I give you Second Lieutenant Chad “Mongo” Cassady.
BRAVE MARINE PING!!!
Honor bound comes to mind. May the good Lord provide the means whereby he can sit his grandchildren on his lap and tell them how he earned his silver star.
“He could have become an officer but preferred to join the infantry in
the enlisted ranks.”
To the military-experience folks here at FR:
Since he “enlisted” and didn’t start out as an officer...but has now
finished officers school...
does this make this fellow what is called “a mustang”?
Just a question from a naive civilian!
Semper Fi, MARINE - that is all.
Officers that start out as enlisted men are “Mustangs” because the Buck the system.
Troops & more seasoned officers will listed to a “Mustang & or “”Gunner”” {Warrent Officer to civi’s} “ more than anybody else.. These 2 types of officers have paid their dues and came up the hard way.
I should know, my mentor in the MARINE CORPS was a Mustang. He taught me so darned much in the way of life and our beloved CORPS.....
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.