Navy SEAL to receive Medal of Honor posthumously

OC Register ^ | 3/31/2008 | DEEPA BHARATH

[Nice50BMG]

Michael A. Monsoor, a Garden Grove High School graduate, has been selected to receive the prestigious Medal of Honor posthumously for his exceptional courage during a firefight in Iraq when he threw himself on a live grenade to save the lives of his teammates.

...

"Without hesitation and showing no regard for his own life, he threw himself on to the grenade, smothering it to protect his teammates who were lying in close proximity," an incident report posted on the Navy SEAL Web site reads. "The grenade detonated as he came down on top of it, mortally wounding him."

[Nice50BMG]

This SEAL was the only one who could have escaped, and the only one who could have stopped the grenade from killing his fellow SEALS. A true hero, through and through.

[Nice50BMG]

Looks like we’re cross-posting from two sources:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1994593/posts

[A.A. Cunningham]

080314-N-3404S-115 Pentagon, Washington, D.C. (March 14, 2008) – Actual Medal of Honor prepared for presentation posthumously to Master-At-Arms 2nd Class (SEAL) Michael A. Monsoor who sacrificed himself to save his teammates during combat operations in Iraq, Sept. 29, 2006. Medal is pictured with the Navy Special Warfare (SEAL) Trident. The parents of Master-At-Arms 2nd Class (SEAL) Michael A. Monsoor will accept the nation's highest military honor on behalf of their son during a White House ceremony April 8, 2008. Monsoor is the first Navy SEAL to earn the Medal of Honor for actions in Iraq and the second Navy SEAL to receive the award since Sept. 11, 2001. Monsoor is the fifth armed forces service member to receive the Medal of Honor since the beginning of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. U.S. Navy photo by Mr. Oscar Sosa (Released)

080314-N-3404S-383 Pentagon, Washington, D.C. (March 14, 2008) – Inscription on the reverse side of actual Medal of Honor prepared for presentation posthumously to Master-At-Arms 2nd Class (SEAL) Michael A. Monsoor who sacrificed himself to save his teammates during combat operations in Iraq, Sept. 29, 2006. Medal is pictured with the Navy Special Warfare (SEAL) Trident. The parents of Master-At-Arms 2nd Class (SEAL) Michael A. Monsoor will accept the nation's highest military honor on behalf of their son during a White House ceremony April 8, 2008. Monsoor is the first Navy SEAL to earn the Medal of Honor for actions in Iraq and the second Navy SEAL to receive the award since Sept. 11, 2001. Monsoor is the fifth armed forces service member to receive the Medal of Honor since the beginning of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. U.S. Navy photo by Mr. Oscar Sosa (Released)