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 ...
MOH
Now on patrol in heaven.
May God rest this noble hero and give comfort and strength to his loved ones.
Rest in peace brave sailor.
No greater love.
Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael A. Monsoor --- Great American Hero!
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
SEALS are exceptional human beings!
CMOH, fer sure. Eternal life, also.......
This the a REAL HERO.
God Bless him.
Clearly. The citation virtually writes itself. God Bless him.
I'm speechless.
Losing even one of these guys is a major bummer.
Sigh!....God Bless Him...
Prayers for the family and friends of our fallen hero.
A hero beyond what words can express.
A lot of Medal of Honor citations read just like this. I can think of no better definition of selfless devotion to duty and your fellow soldiers than to fall on top of a grenade.
If anybody deserves it, this SEAL does.
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