Posted on 09/17/2008 8:01:49 PM PDT by jazusamo
Navy Cross Ping!
Peralta performed heroically adhering to the highest standards of the Naval service and the United States Marine Corps. He will be awarded the Navy Cross.
Does heroism vary from war to war? Apparently so. Medals of Honor were awarded to soldiers in Viet Nam who did the same as this young Marine. Why would this review board say no now?
That’s correct, was surprised to read a lawyer was involved.
Amen.
Rest in peace Sgt. Peralta.
Some of these committees are pretty stingy with awards. Also, they need to award a few MOHs to living guys who deserve it.
If there is any doubt that this is a political decision ...
Salute, Sgt. Rafael "Rafa" Peralta. Your Honour stands above and beyond those of the committee.
Thanks, brit...I don’t know anything about this other than what’s in this article.
I agree...The old line about "CMH" standing for "Casket w/ Metal Handles" has never been more true than in this war. I suspect the award boards and bureaucrats simply don't want to award it to somebody who's mere presence would remind them of all the things they aren't.
There's nothing in the criteria that says it can only be awarded posthumously, but that seems to have become the standard.
When I was a kid and asked my dad about his bronze star from Okinawa he said it wasn’t anything and that they would give one to a cook for making an extra batch of biscuits. When I asked him about the three Purple Hearts he said that the medics kept them and would dispense them along with aspirin.
I don’t think my dad cared about the hardware, but my mom sure did! I don’t blame Sgt. Peralta’s mom for being upset. God bless her.
Agreed...Have no idea why no MOH have been awarded to living military, I’d bet there are those that are deserving.
Sounds like to me your dad was very much a hero and didn’t want to talk about it. God Bless.
I suspect a lot of people in entrenched positions of power don't want to deal with the concept of heroes walking among us, so they choose not to recognize those that actually do.
I don't, either, but here's the info from the Press Release pdf:
MARINE TO RECEIVE NAVY CROSS
Camp Pendleton, Calif. - (September 17, 2008) The Secretary of the Navy, the Hon. Donald C. Winter, announced today that Marine Sgt. Rafael Peralta will be posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for his valor during combat operations in Iraq in November 2004.
Peralta was a member of Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, based in Hawaii. His unit was assigned to 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, during Operation Al Fajr (Phantom Fury), the assault to recapture the insurgent-held city of Fallujah.
Clearing scores of houses in the previous three days, Peralta asked to join an under strength squad and volunteered to stand post the night of Nov. 14, allowing fellow Marines time to rest. During search and attack operations the following morning, while clearing the seventh house of the day, Peralta was caught in a deadly crossfire between insurgents and his Marines, leaving him mortally wounded. After the initial exchange of gunfire, the insurgents broke contact, throwing a fragmentation grenade as they fled the building. The grenade came to rest near Peralta's head. Without hesitation and with complete disregard for his own safety, Peralta reached out and pulled the grenade to his body, absorbing the brunt of the blast and shielding fellow Marines only feet away. Peralta succumbed to his wounds.
In 2005, an investigation was directed by then-Maj. Gen. Richard F. Natonski, commanding general of the 1st Marine Division, to determine the source of a bullet fragment recovered from the body of Peralta.
Following multiple and exhaustive reviews, the evidence supports the finding that Peralta was likely hit by "friendly fire." This finding had no bearing on the decision to award the Navy Cross medal. In honoring Peralta, Secretary Winter determined that the Marine's leadership and courageous actions that day and after his initial wounding were worthy of the Department of the Navy's second highest military award.
Peralta was born on April 7, 1979, in Mexico. He immigrated to the United States and joined the Marine Corps on April 17, 2000. He later became an American citizen.
Details on the award presentation will be announced at a later date.
Note the paragraph I bolded -- that has absolutely no bearing on Sgt. Peralta's act -- in fact it makes it all the more heroic in that he ignored his own wounds, regardless of where they originated, to shield his comrades-in-arms.
Just IMHO
Sounds like the committee is worried about Medal “inflation”.
However if another person is awarded the medal and they aren't seen as heroic as Sgt. Peralta, then I will say other non combat factors had come into play.
Need I say what “it” is?
Still, we must remember, the Naval Cross isn't something to sneeze at.
correction:
Make that the “Navy” Cross
Ping
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.