Posted on 03/23/2007 4:31:44 PM PDT by Excuse_My_Bellicosity
Story Number: NNS070323-25
Release Date: 3/23/2007 4:05:00 PM
WASHINGTON (NNS) -- The Department of Navy announced March 23 that the Navy's newest Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer will be USS Jason Dunham (DDG 109), honoring the late Cpl. Jason L. Dunham, the first Marine awarded the Medal of Honor for Operation Iraqi Freedom.
The Secretary of the Navy, the Honorable Donald C. Winter, made the announcement in Dunham’s hometown of Scio, N.Y.
"Jason Dunham, the friendly, kind-hearted, gifted athlete who followed his star in the United States Marine Corps went on to become one of the most courageous, heroic, and admired Marines this great country has ever known," said Winter. "His name will be forever associated with DDG 109. May those who serve in her always be inspired by the heroic deeds of Jason Dunham, and may all of us strive to be worthy of his sacrifice."
Dunham was born in Scio on Nov., 10, 1981, sharing the same birthday as the United States Marine Corps. After high school graduation, he enlisted in the Marine Corps in July 2000, and completed recruit training 13 weeks later at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island.
Following his first duty assignment with Marine Corps Security Forces, Kings Bay, Ga., Dunham transferred to the infantry and was later assigned to Company K, 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines, based in Twentynine Palms, Calif. Before deploying to Iraq in spring of 2004, Dunham was selected to lead a rifle squad -- a position that ultimately placed him on the front line in the war with the Iraqi insurgency.
On April 14, 2004, Dunham’s squad was conducting a reconnaissance mission in Karabilah, Iraq, when his battalion commander’s convoy was ambushed. When Dunham’s squad approached to provide fire support, an Iraqi insurgent leapt out of a vehicle and attacked Dunham. As Dunham wrestled the insurgent to the ground, he noticed that the enemy fighter had a grenade in his hand. Dunham immediately alerted his fellow Marines, and when the enemy dropped the live grenade, Dunham took off his Kevlar helmet, covered the grenade, and threw himself on top to smother the blast. In an ultimately selfless act of courage, in which he was mortally wounded, he saved the lives of two fellow Marines.
In November 2006, at the dedication of the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Quantico, Va., President Bush announced that the Medal of Honor would be awarded posthumously to Marine Cpl. Jason Dunham.
During his speech, Bush said, “As long as we have Marines like Cpl. Dunham, America will never fear for her liberty."
President Bush presented Cpl. Dunham's family with the Medal of Honor during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House on Jan. 11.
In the spirit of this Marine, USS Jason Dunham will continue protecting America’s liberty by providing a dynamic multimission platform to lead the Navy into the future. Utilizing a gas-turbine propulsion system, the ship can operate independently or as part of carrier strike groups, surface action groups, amphibious ready groups, and underway replenishment groups. The ship’s combat systems center on the Aegis combat system and the SPY-Ld (V) multifunction phased array radar. With the combination of Aegis, the vertical launching system, an advanced anti-submarine warfare system, advanced anti-aircraft missiles and Tomahawk cruise missiles, the Arleigh Burke-class continues the revolution at sea.
For more information on Arleigh Burke class destroyers, visit http://www.navy.mil/navydata/fact_display.asp?cid=4200&tid=900&ct=4.
For more news from around the fleet, visit www.navy.mil.
This just brings tears of pride that our nation has such courageous young people. Bravo, and God bless Jason Dunham.
God Bless Jason Dunham and all who serve and sacrifice in our military!!
Yes, the tears are in my eyes too. God Bless Jason Dunham and the USS Jason Dunham. I believe he will be on the bridge watching over all that are aboard.
That entire sandy hellhole called "Iraq," and everyone in it, isn't worth one single American life, and certainly not the life of a hero such as Jason Dunham.
Semper Fi!
What a wonderful way of honoring this hero's memory. Long may the USS Jason Dunham sail under the Stars and Stripes. May the service of this Destroyer, and those who serve on board it, be as honorable and courageous as the young Marine it is named after. God Bless you Jason Dunham. Your sacrifice has not been forgotten.
I'm so glad that the ship is named for Jason Dunham instead of some worthless president or DemonRAT politician.
ditto.
No doubt. If I were president, the first thing I would do is find a way to rename the Jimmuh Karter.
I am in awe of how selfless some people can be. It is people like Jason Dunham who make this a great nation. We are very blessed.
Corporal Dunham is the truest of American heroes. He sacrificed his life for his fellow Marines.
If I may editorialize a bit...
One truly great thing about our Country and its Marine Corps is that men like Corporal Jason Dunham volunteer and serve and become leaders of Marines in larger numbers than most Americans realize. In my 28 years as a Marine, I served with hundreds of men cut from the same cloth as Corporal Dunham. Clearly, not all would exhibit his kind of valor, but they were outstanding young NCOs who saw to the mission and took care of their Marines.
It is altogether fitting and gratifying for the United States of America to name a ship of the line after Corporal Jason Dunham.
Semper Fi,
Bravo Zulu Cpl. Jason L. Dunham/USS Jason Dunham... Prayers UP. RIP
I have no doubt that the name of that sub is going to be changed in the future. Maybe after Carter "leaves this world." I can't imagine the embarassment of the sailors who serve on it. It's a great sub but that name has got to be changed!
Awesome story.
Men like him, like you, like every man and woman in the US military...make certain that the future of our great country is secure....the future of my grandchildren is bright....and that the history of the world will be written in Freedom....not slavery!
We owe our entire lives to great men and women like you! May we never forget it!
Semper Fi
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