4 IN PENDLETON MARINE SQUAD TO BE AWARDED VALOR MEDALS
UT San Diego
Written by
Gretel C. Kovach
Nov. 29, 2012
The secretary of the Navy is expected Monday to present four members of a Marine special operations team from Camp Pendleton with top awards for valor in combat for their actions in Afghanistan two years ago.
Sgt. William Soutra, a canine handler, will be awarded the Navy Cross, the second highest combat medal. Maj. James Rose, Staff Sgt. Frankie Shinost Jr., and Navy Hospitalman 1st Class Patrick Quill will each get the Silver Star, the third highest medal, Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command announced.
The service members from Company B, 1st Marine Special Operations Battalion had embarked with Afghan special operations commandos on a two-day operation in Helmand province on July 10, 2010, when they were surrounded by enemy forces, according to the Marine Corps and their award citations signed by Navy Secretary Ray Mabus.
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Showing posts with label Navy Cross. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Navy Cross. Show all posts
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Friday, August 3, 2012
Camp Pendleton Marine to get Navy Cross posthumously
MILITARY: Camp Pendleton Marine to get Navy Cross posthumously
By TERI FIGUEROA
North County Times
A Camp Pendleton Marine will be posthumously awarded the Navy Cross ---- the nation's second-highest award for combat heroism ---- for his efforts, while under enemy fire, to save three injured service members in Afghanistan's Sangin province in 2010, a military spokesman said Thursday.
Sgt. Matthew T. Abbate's family will accept the award on his behalf at a ceremony at Camp Pendleton next week, said Capt. Justin Smith, spokesman for the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit.
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By TERI FIGUEROA
North County Times
A Camp Pendleton Marine will be posthumously awarded the Navy Cross ---- the nation's second-highest award for combat heroism ---- for his efforts, while under enemy fire, to save three injured service members in Afghanistan's Sangin province in 2010, a military spokesman said Thursday.
Sgt. Matthew T. Abbate's family will accept the award on his behalf at a ceremony at Camp Pendleton next week, said Capt. Justin Smith, spokesman for the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit.
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Sunday, July 1, 2012
Navy Cross Marine Hero returns home to cheers
La Porte crowd cheers return of Marine hero
By Tabatha Bognar
Saturday, June 30, 2012
A Houston-area Marine was given a hero's welcome Saturday by dozens of supporters in La Porte.
A crowd filled the parking lot outside La Porte High School stadium, cheering and waving flags for Cpl. Christopher Farias, 26, who returned home with a Purple Heart and Navy Cross for "fearless actions and leadership" during a 2010 attack on his patrol base in Afghanistan.
"I had no idea what was going on today," said Farias, who sustained serious injuries as he helped fellow Marines during a Taliban attack. "It hit home to have so many people come to pay their respects, and I thank them for their support." read more here
By Tabatha Bognar
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Marine Cpl. Christopher Farias, who earned the Navy Cross and Purple Heart, was given a hero's welcome Saturday in La Porte. He was cited for "fearless actions and leadership" during combat in Afghanistan. Photo: Melissa Phillip / © 2012 Houston Chronicle
A Houston-area Marine was given a hero's welcome Saturday by dozens of supporters in La Porte.
A crowd filled the parking lot outside La Porte High School stadium, cheering and waving flags for Cpl. Christopher Farias, 26, who returned home with a Purple Heart and Navy Cross for "fearless actions and leadership" during a 2010 attack on his patrol base in Afghanistan.
"I had no idea what was going on today," said Farias, who sustained serious injuries as he helped fellow Marines during a Taliban attack. "It hit home to have so many people come to pay their respects, and I thank them for their support." read more here
Friday, June 29, 2012
Database of Veterans’ Medals Cited as Alternative to ‘Stolen Valor’
Database of Veterans’ Medals Cited as Alternative to ‘Stolen Valor’
By JAMES DAO
June 28, 2012
In his opinion striking down the Stolen Valor Act on Thursday, United States Supreme Court Justice Anthony M. Kennedy offered an alternative solution for defending the military’s award system against fakers, one he said would not infringe on First Amendment rights.
“The government could likely protect the integrity of the military awards system by creating a database of medal winners accessible and searchable on the Internet, as some private individuals have already done,” Justice Kennedy wrote. “Were a database accessible through the Internet, it would be easy to verify and expose false claims.”
“Some private individuals” might have been a reference to Doug Sterner, a Vietnam veteran who for more than a decade has been painstakingly logging military award citations into a public database, a task the Defense Department has declined to take on.
So far, Mr. Sterner said on Thursday, he has logged more than 104,000 award records, including every recipient of the top two tiers of military honors: the Medal of Honor, the highest military award, and the Air Force Cross, the Navy Cross and the Distinguished Service Medal. (The Congressional Medal of Honor Society also maintains a database of all Medal of Honor recipients.)
Mr. Sterner says he has done all that data entry himself, helped on the technical side by Militarytimes.com, which hosts the database, known as the Hall of Valor. He asserts that for a few million dollars, he could hire a team of data entry workers and, within three years, log every military valor award ever awarded by the United States military.
“I’ve done this much by myself,” he said. “Imagine what I could do if I had a team.”
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By JAMES DAO
June 28, 2012
In his opinion striking down the Stolen Valor Act on Thursday, United States Supreme Court Justice Anthony M. Kennedy offered an alternative solution for defending the military’s award system against fakers, one he said would not infringe on First Amendment rights.
“The government could likely protect the integrity of the military awards system by creating a database of medal winners accessible and searchable on the Internet, as some private individuals have already done,” Justice Kennedy wrote. “Were a database accessible through the Internet, it would be easy to verify and expose false claims.”
“Some private individuals” might have been a reference to Doug Sterner, a Vietnam veteran who for more than a decade has been painstakingly logging military award citations into a public database, a task the Defense Department has declined to take on.
So far, Mr. Sterner said on Thursday, he has logged more than 104,000 award records, including every recipient of the top two tiers of military honors: the Medal of Honor, the highest military award, and the Air Force Cross, the Navy Cross and the Distinguished Service Medal. (The Congressional Medal of Honor Society also maintains a database of all Medal of Honor recipients.)
Mr. Sterner says he has done all that data entry himself, helped on the technical side by Militarytimes.com, which hosts the database, known as the Hall of Valor. He asserts that for a few million dollars, he could hire a team of data entry workers and, within three years, log every military valor award ever awarded by the United States military.
“I’ve done this much by myself,” he said. “Imagine what I could do if I had a team.”
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Saturday, June 23, 2012
Did Sgt. Rafael Peralta's actions deserve MOH or not?
Sgt. Rafael Peralta’s Medal of Honor case shifts again
JUNE 22ND, 2012
POSTED BY DAN LAMOTHE
Sgt. Rafael Peralta’s case for the Medal of Honor has shifted again, according to a congressman who has pressed the Pentagon to review new evidence that he says shows the Marine chose to smother a grenade to save his buddies in Iraq.
Peralta, 25, died Nov. 15, 2004, in Fallujah. He was awarded the Navy Cross in 2008 for disregarding his own personal safety while already mortally wounded, pulling the grenade to his body, “absorbing the brunt of the blast and shielding fellow Marines only feet away,” according to his award citation.
Despite the extraordinary heroism, then-Defense Secretary Robert Gates shot down Peralta’s case for the Medal of Honor in 2008, leading the Navy Department to authorize the Navy Cross instead.
Pentagon officials cited “contradictory evidence” on whether he had the cognitive ability to choose to cover the grenade despite already being mortally wounded in the head, outraging his family, fellow Marines and veterans.
The Navy Department acknowledged in March that it was reviewing new evidence — two videos recorded shortly after the blast by fellow Marines and a new pathology report — but declined to characterize the move as a “re-opening” of the case.
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JUNE 22ND, 2012
POSTED BY DAN LAMOTHE
Sgt. Rafael Peralta’s case for the Medal of Honor has shifted again, according to a congressman who has pressed the Pentagon to review new evidence that he says shows the Marine chose to smother a grenade to save his buddies in Iraq.
Peralta, 25, died Nov. 15, 2004, in Fallujah. He was awarded the Navy Cross in 2008 for disregarding his own personal safety while already mortally wounded, pulling the grenade to his body, “absorbing the brunt of the blast and shielding fellow Marines only feet away,” according to his award citation.
Despite the extraordinary heroism, then-Defense Secretary Robert Gates shot down Peralta’s case for the Medal of Honor in 2008, leading the Navy Department to authorize the Navy Cross instead.
Pentagon officials cited “contradictory evidence” on whether he had the cognitive ability to choose to cover the grenade despite already being mortally wounded in the head, outraging his family, fellow Marines and veterans.
The Navy Department acknowledged in March that it was reviewing new evidence — two videos recorded shortly after the blast by fellow Marines and a new pathology report — but declined to characterize the move as a “re-opening” of the case.
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Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Navy Cross recipient gets Father’s Day surprise
Navy Cross recipient gets Father’s Day surprise
JUNE 19TH, 2012
BATTLE RATTLE
POSTED BY GINA HARKINS
Cpl. Christopher Farias received a Father’s Day surprise after he threw out the first pitch at the Dodgers game on Sunday — his dad was behind the catcher’s mask.
Farias thought he was throwing out the first pitch as “veteran of the game,” but there was a bigger plan in action.
According to his dad, this was the first Father’s Day in eight years that the 11th Marines Field Artillery School instructor wasn’t called away on duty. So he hid behind the catcher’s gear and got behind the plate to catch his son’s ceremonial first pitch.
Farias, based in Dodger-territory at Camp Pendleton, Calif., said he could tell it was his dad as soon as he caught the ball and started walking towards him. Check out the video capturing the surprise.
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JUNE 19TH, 2012
BATTLE RATTLE
POSTED BY GINA HARKINS
Cpl. Christopher Farias received a Father’s Day surprise after he threw out the first pitch at the Dodgers game on Sunday — his dad was behind the catcher’s mask.
Farias thought he was throwing out the first pitch as “veteran of the game,” but there was a bigger plan in action.
According to his dad, this was the first Father’s Day in eight years that the 11th Marines Field Artillery School instructor wasn’t called away on duty. So he hid behind the catcher’s gear and got behind the plate to catch his son’s ceremonial first pitch.
Farias, based in Dodger-territory at Camp Pendleton, Calif., said he could tell it was his dad as soon as he caught the ball and started walking towards him. Check out the video capturing the surprise.
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Friday, June 15, 2012
Darkhorse Fallen Marine to receive Navy Cross
Fallen Marine to receive Navy Cross
By Gidget Fuentes
Staff writer
Posted : Thursday Jun 14, 2012
The ferocious fighting that the men of 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, encountered during their 2010-11 deployment to Afghanistan with Regimental Combat Team 2 — and the valor with which they fought — has been hailed yet again with an award for “extraordinary heroism” in combat.
Sgt. Matthew T. Abbate is the latest leatherneck with the Camp Pendleton, Calif.-based “Darkhorse” battalion to be honored with the coveted Navy Cross. He was cited for his “bold and decisive leadership” while leading his scout-sniper section through a hellish ambush in Sangin district on Oct. 14, 2010.
Abbate was killed in combat just six weeks after that battle, on Dec. 2, 2010. He was 26. His survivors include his young son, Carson, and family in the Fresno, Calif., area.
Abbate was later nominated for a posthumous award of the Navy Cross, and Navy Secretary Ray Mabus approved the medal this month, according to spokeswoman Pamela Kunze, who provided a copy of the approved award citation.
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By Gidget Fuentes
Staff writer
Posted : Thursday Jun 14, 2012
ABBATE FAMILY Marine Sgt. Matthew Abbate will receive the Navy Cross for his heroism Oct. 14, 2010, in Afghanistan. Abbate, with 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, out of Camp Pendleton, Calif., was killed in action just six weeks later.
The ferocious fighting that the men of 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, encountered during their 2010-11 deployment to Afghanistan with Regimental Combat Team 2 — and the valor with which they fought — has been hailed yet again with an award for “extraordinary heroism” in combat.
Sgt. Matthew T. Abbate is the latest leatherneck with the Camp Pendleton, Calif.-based “Darkhorse” battalion to be honored with the coveted Navy Cross. He was cited for his “bold and decisive leadership” while leading his scout-sniper section through a hellish ambush in Sangin district on Oct. 14, 2010.
Abbate was killed in combat just six weeks after that battle, on Dec. 2, 2010. He was 26. His survivors include his young son, Carson, and family in the Fresno, Calif., area.
Abbate was later nominated for a posthumous award of the Navy Cross, and Navy Secretary Ray Mabus approved the medal this month, according to spokeswoman Pamela Kunze, who provided a copy of the approved award citation.
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Saturday, May 19, 2012
Two Marines receive Navy Cross for bravery in Afghanistan
Two Marines receive Navy Cross for bravery in Afghanistan
May 18, 2012
Two Marines received the Navy Cross for bravery in Afghanistan in separate ceremonies Friday.
The awards were made to Sgt. Clifford Wooldridge of the 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment at Twentynine Palms, and Sgt. Christopher Farias of the 1st Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment at Camp Pendleton.
Both awards were made by Under Secretary of the Navy Robert Work, who shuttled between the two bases. For sailors and Marines, the Navy Cross is second only to the Medal of Honor.
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May 18, 2012
Two Marines received the Navy Cross for bravery in Afghanistan in separate ceremonies Friday.
The awards were made to Sgt. Clifford Wooldridge of the 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment at Twentynine Palms, and Sgt. Christopher Farias of the 1st Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment at Camp Pendleton.
Both awards were made by Under Secretary of the Navy Robert Work, who shuttled between the two bases. For sailors and Marines, the Navy Cross is second only to the Medal of Honor.
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Monday, May 14, 2012
Marine receiving Navy Cross for valor in combat
La Porte Marine receiving Navy Cross for valor in combat
Sunday, May 13, 2012
BAYTOWN, TX (KTRK) -- This week, a Marine from La Porte will receive an extraordinary decoration for valor in combat -- the Navy Cross.
This Mother's Day, his mom was getting ready for the big ceremony, wiping tears from her face as she talked about her hero.
"I'm proud of him," Penni Farias said of her son. "But God protected him."
She calls him Chris -- her 26-year-old son who still gets homesick. But most of the world knows him as Sgt. Christopher Farias, a decorated U.S. Marine who nearly died while serving in Afghanistan.
"I had to keep my promise, which was to bring my guys home," Sgt. Farias told us. "I promised my best friend's wife that I would get him home. I could hear him screaming and I knew I had to do something."
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Sunday, May 13, 2012
BAYTOWN, TX (KTRK) -- This week, a Marine from La Porte will receive an extraordinary decoration for valor in combat -- the Navy Cross.
This Mother's Day, his mom was getting ready for the big ceremony, wiping tears from her face as she talked about her hero.
"I'm proud of him," Penni Farias said of her son. "But God protected him."
She calls him Chris -- her 26-year-old son who still gets homesick. But most of the world knows him as Sgt. Christopher Farias, a decorated U.S. Marine who nearly died while serving in Afghanistan.
"I had to keep my promise, which was to bring my guys home," Sgt. Farias told us. "I promised my best friend's wife that I would get him home. I could hear him screaming and I knew I had to do something."
read more here
Friday, March 2, 2012
Video of Sgt. Rafael Peralta pulling grenade under his body being reviewed for Medal of Honor
Calif. lawmakers say fallen Marine deserved military’s highest honor for valor
By Associated Press, Published: March 1
U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter said his office sent a formal request from the area’s congressional delegation to Navy Secretary Ray Mabus urging him to reconsider Sgt. Rafael Peralta for the Medal of Honor in a last-ditch effort before the deadline ends. Four other San Diego-area representatives and California Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer also signed the letter.
After a scientific panel examined the forensic evidence at the time, former Defense Secretary Robert Gates decided to award Peralta the Navy Cross instead of the Medal of Honor based on the conclusion that the Marine who suffered a head wound was not conscious when his body smothered a grenade in Iraq in 2004, saving other Marines.
Hunter spokesman Joe Kasper said the congressman has obtained a video of the battle action and a newly released report by a forensic pathologist that proves Peralta was conscious and intentionally pulled the grenade under his body.
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By Associated Press, Published: March 1
SAN DIEGO — Federal lawmakers announced Thursday they have obtained information previously unavailable to military investigators that proves the Navy should not have disqualified a San Diego Marine from being posthumously awarded America’s highest military honor.(U.S. Marines, File/Associated Press) - FILE - This undated photo released by the U.S. Marines, shows Sgt. Rafael Peralta, 25. Federal lawmakers announced Thursday March 1, 2012, they have obtained evidence previously unavailable to military investigators that proves the Navy should not have disqualified Peralta, a San Diego Marine from being posthumously awarded America’s highest military honor.
U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter said his office sent a formal request from the area’s congressional delegation to Navy Secretary Ray Mabus urging him to reconsider Sgt. Rafael Peralta for the Medal of Honor in a last-ditch effort before the deadline ends. Four other San Diego-area representatives and California Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer also signed the letter.
After a scientific panel examined the forensic evidence at the time, former Defense Secretary Robert Gates decided to award Peralta the Navy Cross instead of the Medal of Honor based on the conclusion that the Marine who suffered a head wound was not conscious when his body smothered a grenade in Iraq in 2004, saving other Marines.
Hunter spokesman Joe Kasper said the congressman has obtained a video of the battle action and a newly released report by a forensic pathologist that proves Peralta was conscious and intentionally pulled the grenade under his body.
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Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Navy Cross awarded to family of Marine killed in Afghanistan
MILITARY: Heroic Marine now 'in the company of the finest and bravest'
By MARK WALKER
Posted: Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Lance Cpl. Donald J. Hogan was remembered Tuesday as an exceptionally upbeat and selfless young man whose valor in detecting a roadside bomb and using his body to shield fellow Marines from the blast claimed his life at age 20.
That heroism led Navy Secretary Ray Mabus to come to Camp Pendleton to present Hogan's family with the Navy Cross, the highest award for valor after the Medal of Honor. A new barracks complex has also been named in Hogan's honor.
"The actions of Lance Cpl. Donald Hogan place him in the company of the finest and bravest Marines in our nation's history," Mabus said during a Tuesday morning ceremony at the base. "He is now part of Marine Corps lore."
Mabus said that after examining nominating papers for Hogan that would have garnered him a Silver Star, he elevated the award to the highest one that the Department of the Navy can bestow on its own.
"He displayed the most remarkable bravery in combat," Mabus said. "He fully embodied the Marine Corps motto of Semper Fidelis (always faithful)."
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Navy Cross awarded to family of Marine killed in Afghanistan
January 17, 2012
In a ceremony Tuesday at Camp Pendleton, the secretary of the Navy presented the Navy Cross for bravery to the family of a Marine killed in Afghanistan.
Navy Secretary Ray Mabus presented the medal to Jim and Carla Hogan, whose son, Lance Cpl. Donald Hogan, was killed Aug. 26, 2009, while saving Marines from the explosion of a roadside bomb.
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Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Lance Cpl. Donald Hogan to be posthumously awarded Navy Cross
Marine from Camp Pendleton to be awarded Navy Cross posthumously
January 10, 2012
The secretary of the Navy next week will present the Navy Cross to the family of a Marine from Camp Pendleton killed while saving the life of other Marines in Afghanistan, officials announced Tuesday.
Navy Secretary Ray Mabus is set to present the medal Jan. 17 to the family of Lance Cpl. Donald Hogan in a ceremony at Camp Pendleton. The Navy Cross is second only to the Medal of Honor for combat bravery by Marines or sailors.
Hogan, 20, assigned to the 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, was killed Aug. 26, 2009, by a buried explosive device after pushing a Marine to safety and yelling warnings to other Marines. Hogan was on a walking patrol in Helmand province, long a Taliban stronghold.
According to the Navy Cross citation, Hogan spotted a trigger wire for a buried bomb and hurled himself into the body of the nearest Marine to push him away from the imminent blast.
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January 10, 2012
The secretary of the Navy next week will present the Navy Cross to the family of a Marine from Camp Pendleton killed while saving the life of other Marines in Afghanistan, officials announced Tuesday.
Navy Secretary Ray Mabus is set to present the medal Jan. 17 to the family of Lance Cpl. Donald Hogan in a ceremony at Camp Pendleton. The Navy Cross is second only to the Medal of Honor for combat bravery by Marines or sailors.
Hogan, 20, assigned to the 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, was killed Aug. 26, 2009, by a buried explosive device after pushing a Marine to safety and yelling warnings to other Marines. Hogan was on a walking patrol in Helmand province, long a Taliban stronghold.
According to the Navy Cross citation, Hogan spotted a trigger wire for a buried bomb and hurled himself into the body of the nearest Marine to push him away from the imminent blast.
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Thursday, June 16, 2011
Navy Cross Expected for Marine from San Clemente
Navy Cross Expected for Marine from San Clemente
by Stacie N. Galang
Jun 15, 2011
Somewhere in the cornfield the enemy hid beneath the stalks.
Lance Cpl. Donald J. Hogan spotted a kite string pulled taut and quickly realized it was attached to the improvised explosive device he and his fellow Marines had been sent to find. Hogan lunged at one of the members of his unit to shove him out of harm’s way.
The device didn’t trip and the enemy continued fumbling to set it off. Hogan went back to the road to warn the others in his patrol, yelling toward them to turn back.
The rifleman in the 1st Battalion, 5th Marines, would die that day — August 26, 2009 in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. Four other Marines and one interpreter suffered injuries in the blast but lived.
Hogan, who moved to San Clemente with his family while in high school, is now in line for the Navy Cross, an honor second only to the Medal of Honor.
The 20-year-old’s split-second decision “saved a Marine’s life and allowed the rest of the squad to avoid the full brunt of the fragmentation,” according to the citation prepared for Hogan’s nomination for the Navy Cross.
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Navy Cross Expected for Marine from San Clemente
by Stacie N. Galang
Jun 15, 2011
San Clemente residents Jim and Carla Hogan show a photo of their son Lance Cpl. Donald J. Hogan who died August 26, 2009 while serving with the 1st Battalion, 5th Marines in Afghanistan. Photo by Stacie N. Galang
Lance Cpl. Donald J. Hogan spotted a kite string pulled taut and quickly realized it was attached to the improvised explosive device he and his fellow Marines had been sent to find. Hogan lunged at one of the members of his unit to shove him out of harm’s way.
The device didn’t trip and the enemy continued fumbling to set it off. Hogan went back to the road to warn the others in his patrol, yelling toward them to turn back.
The rifleman in the 1st Battalion, 5th Marines, would die that day — August 26, 2009 in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. Four other Marines and one interpreter suffered injuries in the blast but lived.
Hogan, who moved to San Clemente with his family while in high school, is now in line for the Navy Cross, an honor second only to the Medal of Honor.
The 20-year-old’s split-second decision “saved a Marine’s life and allowed the rest of the squad to avoid the full brunt of the fragmentation,” according to the citation prepared for Hogan’s nomination for the Navy Cross.
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Navy Cross Expected for Marine from San Clemente
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Two Marines, two immigrants, two heroes receive Navy Cross
Marines showed extraordinary bravery 'when the world became fire'
By Larry Shaughnessy, CNN Pentagon Producer
June 11, 2011 8:55 a.m. EDT
On Friday, Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus presented both men with the Navy Cross during a ceremony at the National Museum of the Marine Corps. The Navy Cross is the second-highest award for valor in the military, surpassed only by the Medal of Honor.
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Marines showed extraordinary bravery
By Larry Shaughnessy, CNN Pentagon Producer
June 11, 2011 8:55 a.m. EDT
Staff Sgt. Juan Rodriguez-Chavez, left, and Capt. Ademola Fabayo, awarded the Navy Cross, are now trainersQuantico, Virginia (CNN) -- Capt. Ademola Fabayo and Staff Sgt. Juan Rodriguez-Chavez are both immigrants to the United States, both Marines and, most important of all, both heroes of a rare order.
On Friday, Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus presented both men with the Navy Cross during a ceremony at the National Museum of the Marine Corps. The Navy Cross is the second-highest award for valor in the military, surpassed only by the Medal of Honor.
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Marines showed extraordinary bravery
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Fallen Marine Selected For Navy Cross Heroism Medal
Local Family Proud Of Fallen Marine Selected For Navy Cross Heroism Medal
June 7, 2011 10:20 PM
SAN CLEMENTE (CBS) — His family is so proud. And rightly so.
They don’t have their son back — Marine Lance Corporal Donald Hogan didn’t return from war alive. But he was a hero nonetheless.
For his heroism he is being awarded the prestigious Navy Cross.
Hogan was killed in Afghanistan in 2009 by a buried roadside bomb. He was on his first tour of duty…there just three months.
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Fallen Marine Selected For Navy Cross Heroism Medal
June 7, 2011 10:20 PM
SAN CLEMENTE (CBS) — His family is so proud. And rightly so.
They don’t have their son back — Marine Lance Corporal Donald Hogan didn’t return from war alive. But he was a hero nonetheless.
For his heroism he is being awarded the prestigious Navy Cross.
Hogan was killed in Afghanistan in 2009 by a buried roadside bomb. He was on his first tour of duty…there just three months.
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Fallen Marine Selected For Navy Cross Heroism Medal
Sunday, June 5, 2011
After meltdown, Navy Cross Marine gets help he needed and support
Marines need to support fellow Marines
Posted : Saturday Jun 4, 2011 12:35:41 EDT
Jeremiah Workman was a mess.
The Navy Cross recipient — so recognized for his leadership during a gruesome 2004 firefight in Iraq — suffered from horrible nightmares and survivor’s guilt. He had flashbacks and was unable to control his temper.
After a meltdown in front of recruits at Parris Island, S.C., Workman was removed from drill instructor duty, diagnosed with PTSD and reassigned — as a janitor.
He tried to kill himself.
His wife and child moved out.
Leadership had failed him.
Then in 2007, Workman found a lifeline. Sgt. Maj. Carlton Kent, the newly appointed sergeant major of the Marine Corps, did what no one else had: He stepped in to help a Marine in need.
“I called his battalion sergeant major, and his first thing to me was, ‘Hey, Sergeant Major Kent, that sergeant ain’t nothing but a problem,’ ” Kent told Marines during a recent trip abroad. “I said, ‘Stop. He’s not your problem no more. He’s our problem.’ And I said, ‘Have him report to the Pentagon.’ ”
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Marines need to support fellow Marines
Posted : Saturday Jun 4, 2011 12:35:41 EDT
Jeremiah Workman was a mess.
The Navy Cross recipient — so recognized for his leadership during a gruesome 2004 firefight in Iraq — suffered from horrible nightmares and survivor’s guilt. He had flashbacks and was unable to control his temper.
After a meltdown in front of recruits at Parris Island, S.C., Workman was removed from drill instructor duty, diagnosed with PTSD and reassigned — as a janitor.
He tried to kill himself.
His wife and child moved out.
Leadership had failed him.
Then in 2007, Workman found a lifeline. Sgt. Maj. Carlton Kent, the newly appointed sergeant major of the Marine Corps, did what no one else had: He stepped in to help a Marine in need.
“I called his battalion sergeant major, and his first thing to me was, ‘Hey, Sergeant Major Kent, that sergeant ain’t nothing but a problem,’ ” Kent told Marines during a recent trip abroad. “I said, ‘Stop. He’s not your problem no more. He’s our problem.’ And I said, ‘Have him report to the Pentagon.’ ”
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Marines need to support fellow Marines
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Navy Cross for Gunnery Sgt. Brian M. Blonder actions in Afghanistan
May 17, 2011
Marine Corps News|by Sgt. Michael S. Cifuentes
ARLINGTON, Va. -- Gunnery Sgt. Brian M. Blonder shot and killed an insurgent who was aiming a rocket-propelled grenade at his Marines. After that, Blonder and his Marines averaged killing one insurgent about every 10 minutes.
At the end of an all-day fight, more than 50 Taliban were dead, scores were retreating, and the Marines took control of a key supply route through the village of Shewan, Afghanistan.
Blonder said it was what he came to do, and it’s what Marines do best – kill the enemy. And his unit did that exceptionally well that even though the Taliban outnumbered the Marines roughly eight to one.
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Recon Marine Awarded Navy Cross
Monday, September 6, 2010
Navy Cross recipient continues to help Marines
Navy Cross recipient continues to help Marines
By Jeb Phillips - The Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch
Posted : Saturday Sep 4, 2010 16:35:02 EDT
COLUMBUS, Ohio — One of the most highly decorated Marines during the war in Iraq had to drink to fall asleep.
He once tried to kill himself.
This was after Jeremiah Workman’s tour in Fallujah, where on Dec. 23, 2004, he demonstrated such extraordinary heroism that he was awarded the Navy Cross.
Workman, a retired staff sergeant, led three assaults into a house where insurgents had trapped other Marines. Injured by grenade shrapnel, he helped save many of those Marines and kill 24 insurgents.
Workman, now 27, originally is from Richwood and was a high-school football player. He tells these biographical details to current and retired Marines, including the ones he has recently spoken with in Ohio.
“I wasn’t broken before I went in,” he tells them. “I’m you.”
He still goes to counseling, he says, and he still takes medicine for post-traumatic stress disorder. If a football player, not to mention a Navy Cross recipient, admits that he needed help after a deployment, maybe other Marines will admit it, too.
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Navy Cross recipient continues to help Marines
also
Navy Cross Citation for Jeremiah W. Workman
A Hero Who Did not Save Himself
For Jeremiah Workman, Decorated for Bravery in Iraq, the Battle's Not Over Yet
By Peter Carlson
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, March 4, 2007
Despite heavy resistance from enemy automatic weapon fire and a barrage of grenades, Corporal Workman fearlessly. . .
Jeremiah Workman stood at attention and tried to listen as the narrator read the citation that detailed what he'd done to earn the Navy Cross, an award for valor that is second only to the Medal of Honor.
. . . Corporal Workman again exposed himself to enemy fire while providing cover fire for the team when an enemy grenade exploded directly in front of him, causing shrapnel wounds to his arms and legs . . .
He was standing on the parade ground, facing a grandstand packed with hundreds of people, including his wife and his mother. Behind him were several hundred Marine recruits who were about to graduate from boot camp at Parris Island, S.C., where Workman had recently lost his job as a drill instructor after he suffered what he calls a "mental meltdown."
. . . Although injured, he led a third assault into the building, rallying his team one last time to extract isolated Marines . . .
When the narrator finished reading the story of Workman's "extraordinary heroism" in Iraq, Brig. Gen. Richard T. Tryon pinned the Navy Cross to Workman's chest and the crowd in the grandstand stood and cheered. It was a moment of well-deserved triumph, but it didn't make Workman feel any better.
"When they put that medal on me, from that point on, I sunk deeper into depression," he recalls. "Everybody says it must be awesome to win the Navy Cross. Well, as a matter of fact, it's not. I lost three guys that day, so for the longest time, I didn't even want to wear it. I'd look down at it and see three dead Marines."
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By Jeb Phillips - The Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch
Posted : Saturday Sep 4, 2010 16:35:02 EDT
COLUMBUS, Ohio — One of the most highly decorated Marines during the war in Iraq had to drink to fall asleep.
He once tried to kill himself.
This was after Jeremiah Workman’s tour in Fallujah, where on Dec. 23, 2004, he demonstrated such extraordinary heroism that he was awarded the Navy Cross.
Workman, a retired staff sergeant, led three assaults into a house where insurgents had trapped other Marines. Injured by grenade shrapnel, he helped save many of those Marines and kill 24 insurgents.
Workman, now 27, originally is from Richwood and was a high-school football player. He tells these biographical details to current and retired Marines, including the ones he has recently spoken with in Ohio.
“I wasn’t broken before I went in,” he tells them. “I’m you.”
He still goes to counseling, he says, and he still takes medicine for post-traumatic stress disorder. If a football player, not to mention a Navy Cross recipient, admits that he needed help after a deployment, maybe other Marines will admit it, too.
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Navy Cross recipient continues to help Marines
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Navy Cross Citation for Jeremiah W. WorkmanSgt. Jeremiah Workman was awarded the Navy Cross for his heroism while on duty in Fallujah. "Almost any infantry Marine would have done what I did," he says. (By Sarah L. Voisin -- The Washington Post)
A Hero Who Did not Save Himself
For Jeremiah Workman, Decorated for Bravery in Iraq, the Battle's Not Over Yet
By Peter Carlson
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, March 4, 2007
Despite heavy resistance from enemy automatic weapon fire and a barrage of grenades, Corporal Workman fearlessly. . .
Jeremiah Workman stood at attention and tried to listen as the narrator read the citation that detailed what he'd done to earn the Navy Cross, an award for valor that is second only to the Medal of Honor.
. . . Corporal Workman again exposed himself to enemy fire while providing cover fire for the team when an enemy grenade exploded directly in front of him, causing shrapnel wounds to his arms and legs . . .
He was standing on the parade ground, facing a grandstand packed with hundreds of people, including his wife and his mother. Behind him were several hundred Marine recruits who were about to graduate from boot camp at Parris Island, S.C., where Workman had recently lost his job as a drill instructor after he suffered what he calls a "mental meltdown."
. . . Although injured, he led a third assault into the building, rallying his team one last time to extract isolated Marines . . .
When the narrator finished reading the story of Workman's "extraordinary heroism" in Iraq, Brig. Gen. Richard T. Tryon pinned the Navy Cross to Workman's chest and the crowd in the grandstand stood and cheered. It was a moment of well-deserved triumph, but it didn't make Workman feel any better.
"When they put that medal on me, from that point on, I sunk deeper into depression," he recalls. "Everybody says it must be awesome to win the Navy Cross. Well, as a matter of fact, it's not. I lost three guys that day, so for the longest time, I didn't even want to wear it. I'd look down at it and see three dead Marines."
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Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Marine impersonator in custody
Marine impersonator in custody
Published: July 26, 2010 at 4:21 PM
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., July 26 (UPI) -- An Arizona man convicted in absentia of fraud and forgery after his past as a U.S. Marine was revealed as a fabrication was taken into custody in California.
Authorities said John Rodriguez, 31, of Scottsdale had claimed to be a decorated Marine sergeant and used the lie to gain access to military bases, obtain discounts on airline tickets and attend the Marine Corps Ball in Las Vegas, The Arizona Republic reported Monday.
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Marine impersonator in custody
Published: July 26, 2010 at 4:21 PM
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., July 26 (UPI) -- An Arizona man convicted in absentia of fraud and forgery after his past as a U.S. Marine was revealed as a fabrication was taken into custody in California.
Authorities said John Rodriguez, 31, of Scottsdale had claimed to be a decorated Marine sergeant and used the lie to gain access to military bases, obtain discounts on airline tickets and attend the Marine Corps Ball in Las Vegas, The Arizona Republic reported Monday.
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Marine impersonator in custody
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Fake three-star Marine general was really PFC
Marine investigators say NC man posed as officer
(AP) – 1 day ago
WILMINGTON, N.C. — A man who pleaded guilty last year to altering an identification card after he was spotted in the uniform of a three-star Marine general is under suspicion of posing at an April ceremony as a highly decorated Marine colonel, authorities say.
Michael Hamilton, 67, of Richlands wore a Marine uniform at Jacksonville's Vietnam Memorial during a military recognition day ceremony last month, Marine investigators said this week. Authorities added Hamilton was photographed wearing several rows of medals including the Navy Cross, the second highest award for valor.
Investigators from Camp Lejeune said they searched Hamilton's house on April 26, two days after his picture was published in the Jacksonville, N.C., Daily News. An evidence report said they recovered a blue dress uniform blouse with seven service ribbons and 18 medals. The report didn't specify the medals recovered.
(AP) – 1 day ago
WILMINGTON, N.C. — A man who pleaded guilty last year to altering an identification card after he was spotted in the uniform of a three-star Marine general is under suspicion of posing at an April ceremony as a highly decorated Marine colonel, authorities say.
Michael Hamilton, 67, of Richlands wore a Marine uniform at Jacksonville's Vietnam Memorial during a military recognition day ceremony last month, Marine investigators said this week. Authorities added Hamilton was photographed wearing several rows of medals including the Navy Cross, the second highest award for valor.
Investigators from Camp Lejeune said they searched Hamilton's house on April 26, two days after his picture was published in the Jacksonville, N.C., Daily News. An evidence report said they recovered a blue dress uniform blouse with seven service ribbons and 18 medals. The report didn't specify the medals recovered.
In a biography distributed at the April ceremony, Hamilton claims he was promoted from private first class to colonel between 1961 and 1969 and was awarded 80 medals, including two Navy Crosses. An affidavit filed by investigators with the search warrant said the highest rank Hamilton attained was private first class.
Hamilton only served nine months and was discharged in February 1962, according to the affidavit. It said his only decoration was a rifle qualification badge.read more here
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