Navy SEAL Fought To the Death
New York Daily News | 3/22/02 | MAKI BECKER
Posted on 3/22/02 2:25 AM Pacific by kattracks
Navy SEAL Fought
To the Death
Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Neil Roberts — shot dead and dragged off by Al Qaeda fighters March 4 — went down fighting.
Thrown from his helicopter on the first night of Operation Anaconda, the Navy SEAL found himself alone and in enemy territory, according to two new accounts, including an e-mail circulating among military personnel.
His survival instinct in high gear, Roberts — a married father of a toddler son — grabbed a machine gun from a felled commando nearby, CBS News reported last night.
He opened fire with the machine gun and a pistol on the enemy fighters around him until he ran out of ammunition.
Roberts, 32, then stood and threw all his grenades before being cut down by enemy fire.
Helpless and horrified, his commanders watched via a reconnaissance drone's camera as Roberts' valiant last stand ended with Al Qaeda fighters dragging off his body.
According to the e-mail and other accounts given to CBS News by members of the Special Operations forces in Afghanistan, Roberts' helicopter was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade that didn't explode but caused the aircraft to lurch.
That ejected the chopper's tail gunner, who dangled from the aircraft by his safety harness.
Roberts then raced to action, putting down his rifle to pull the gunner inside.
But the helicopter was jolted again, and Roberts, who wasn't wearing a harness, fell 10 feet to the ground. His helicopter left without him, apparently unaware he was not on board, the reports said.
A second U.S. chopper also came under fire, and a commando aboard it was shot dead. He fell to the ground still clutching his machine gun, and Roberts made his way over to the dead soldier to grab his guns, according to CBS News.
Last Monday at a memorial service, Roberts was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star. CBS reported he is also being considered for a Medal of Honor.
Navy SEAL
Neil Roberts
