[ConorMacNessa]

Do you have the particulars of what he did to be awarded the Medal? Not disparaging him, just want to know.

[notfornothing]

Do you have the particulars of what he did to be awarded the Medal? Not disparaging him, just want to know.

See the article to find out. Basically he fell on a live grenade and saved several of his comrades. Apparently the DoD is denying him the medal of honor on a technicality, against the testimony of the other soldiers.

Mark Levin devoted a segment of his show to Sgt. Peralta when this happened, and I remember being moved by the story then.

[goldstategop]

"Who can blame his mother, Rosa Peralta, for being angry and upset? Rafael Peralta deserves the Medal of Honor. He saved several lives and enabled his fellow soldiers, some of them fathers, to return home to their families. The soldiers say they saw him reach out and grab the grenade and put it under his body. But a committee of doctors and military figures insists that heroism isn't involved since Peralta was shot in the head and could not have survived before he used his body to shield his fellow soldiers from the grenade."

I don't agree with the bureaucrats' shameful nitpicking. What he did was a miracle and he saved the lives of his fellow Marines. Our government doesn't get it! This is not the way to treat a hero, who deserves nothing less than our country's highest honor. And his family and fellow Marines should reject the Navy Cross the government is offering!

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[BIGLOOK]

There were 'friendly fire' issues brought up, Doc. None the less Sgt Peralta laid down his life for his fellow Marines and is deserving of the CMO. But that takes the votes of 575 Congressmen and Senators. The Navy Cross is the vote of the US Marine Corps and US Navy, signed by the SECDEF and POTUS.

All Honors to Sgt Peralta.

Godspeed, Marine!

[A.A. Cunningham]

THE SECRETARY OF THE NAVY
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20350-1000

The President of the United States takes pride in presenting the NAVY CROSS posthumously to

SERGEANT
RAFAEL PERALTA
UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS

for service as set forth in the following

CITATION:

For extraordinary heroism while serving as Platoon Guide with 1st Platoon, Company A, 1st Battalion, 3d Marines, Regimental Combat Team 7, 1st Marine Division, in action against Anti-Coalition Forces in support of Operation AL FAJR, in Fallujah, Iraq on 15 November 2004. Clearing scores of houses in the previous three days, Sergeant Peralta asked to join an under strength squad and volunteered to stand post the night of 14 November, allowing fellow Marines more time to rest. The following morning, during search and attack operations, while clearing the seventh house of the day, the point man opened a door to a back room and immediately came under intense, close-range automatic weapons fire from multiple insurgents. The squad returned fire, wounding one insurgent. While attempting to maneuver out of the line of fire, Sergeant Peralta was shot and fell 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 Sergeant Peralta's head. Without hesitation and with complete disregard for his own personal safety, Sergeant Peralta reached out and pulled the grenade to his body, absorbing the brunt of the blast and shielding his fellow Marines only feet away. Sergeant Peralta succumbed to his wounds. By his undaunted courage, intrepid fighting spirit, and unwavering devotion to duty, Sergeant Peralta reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service.

For the President,

Donald C. Winter

Secretary of the Navy