Posted on 10/13/2006 12:20:20 PM PDT by jmc1969
A Navy SEAL sacrificed his life to save his comrades by throwing himself on top of a grenade Iraqi insurgents tossed into their sniper hideout, fellow members of the elite force said.
Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael A. Monsoor had been near the only door to the rooftop structure Sept. 29 when the grenade hit him in the chest and bounced to the floor, said four SEALs who spoke to The Associated Press this week on condition of anonymity because their work requires their identities to remain secret.
"He never took his eye off the grenade, his only movement was down toward it," said a 28-year-old lieutenant who sustained shrapnel wounds to both legs that day. "He undoubtedly saved mine and the other SEALs' lives, and we owe him."
Monsoor, a 25-year-old gunner, was killed in the explosion in Ramadi, west of Baghdad. He was only the second SEAL to die in Iraq since the war began.
Two SEALs next to Monsoor were injured; another who was 10 to 15 feet from the blast was unhurt. The four had been working with Iraqi soldiers providing sniper security while U.S. and Iraqi forces conducted missions in the area.
In an interview at the SEALs' West Coast headquarters in Coronado, four members of the special force remembered "Mikey" as a loyal friend and a quiet, dedicated professional.
Prior to his death, Monsoor had already demonstrated courage under fire. He has been posthumously awarded the Silver Star for his actions May 9 in Ramadi, when he and another SEAL pulled a team member shot in the leg to safety while bullets pinged off the ground around them.
(Excerpt) Read more at ksl.com ...
What remarkable men...I don't begin to understand... May God bless him and his family.
Sad ping
Regarding the comments about a medal of honor, this is not the first man to deliberately fall on a grenade in order to save his comrades in Iraq. I can think of at least one specific example - a Marine in Ramadi or Fallujah (I think Falljah) - and I think that he and every other guy who has done this in Iraq got a Silver Star.
Side note regarding the photo of him that is posted on this thread - that weapon that he is so casually carrying weighs about 30 pounds with all of the ancillary equipment attached and the attached ammo bag. Not all that heavy, but noteworthy that he seems to carry it as effortlessly as a normal Soldier carries an M4.
Thank you Michael Monsoor, thank you from us all. May God bless your soul.
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