MILITARY: Navy naming ships after trio of local military heroes

NC Times ^ | February 15, 2012 | Mark Walker

[jazusamo]

The U.S. Navy announced Wednesday morning that it has named one of its new ships after Marine Sgt. Rafael Peralta, a San Diego native who died a hero in Iraq in 2004.

Navy Secretary Ray Mabus announced the move, saying a new guided-missile destroyer will be named the USS Rafael Peralta.

A Pentagon statement said Mabus named that ship and two other new destroyers after Navy and Marine Corps heroes whose actions occurred during different conflicts but "were united in their uncommon valor."

Peralta was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross after using his body to shield fellow Marines from an insurgent grenade during house-to-house fighting in Fallujah.

Mabus said he wanted to ensure that sacrifice "will be known by today's sailors and Marine and honored for several decades to come by a new generation of Americans and people from around the world who will come in contact with these ships."

Known as an Arleigh Burke class destroyer, the ship will conduct a variety of operations and capable of fighting air, surface and subsurface battles.

Along with the USS Peralta, two other new destroyers are being named the USS John Finn and the USS Ralph Johnson.

[jazusamo]

Marine Sgt. Rafael Peralta, Semper Fi

[jazusamo]

Ping!

[forgotten man]

I saw Sgt. Peralta’s grave at Fort Rosecrans cemetery on Point Loma in San Diego. If the ship is based in San Diego it will pass in front of his grave every time in enters or leaves San Diego Bay.

[Psycho_Bunny]

The USS Gabrielle Giffords shouldn’t even be in the same water.

[jazusamo]

Thanks for relating that!

[jazusamo]

Please bump the Freepathon or click above and donate or become a monthly donor!

[Gatún(CraigIsaMangoTreeLawyer)]

My Goodness!!!

They didn’t name it after Sen. Robert Byrd? or Pelosi, or a Kennedy? or Rahm Emanuel? or fat ass hogly Michelle? or Hitler? etc.?

I am truely disapointed…Totally

[Gatún(CraigIsaMangoTreeLawyer)]

My Goodness!!!

They didn’t name it after Sen. Robert Byrd? or Pelosi, or a Kennedy? or Rahm Emanuel? or fat ass hogly Michelle? or Hitler? etc.?

I am truely disapointed…Totally

[I cannot think of a name]

“Peralta was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross after using his body to shield fellow Marines from an insurgent grenade”

Hmmm, many people have received the Medal of Honor for the same actions. I’ve noticed the Medal of Honor for these wars seems to have required a higher standard than previous wars.

[Gatún(CraigIsaMangoTreeLawyer)]

Sorry for the double post.

I got carried away.

[Jack Hydrazine]

What is the status of the USS Murtha and the USS Giffords?

[jazusamo]

There have been a couple of our military awarded the Medal of Honor in these wars for that same act of heroism and there’s many who feel Sgt. Peralta should have been a MOH recipient as well, much has been much written about it.

[righttackle44]

From MARINESBLOG:

["]For his actions in those final moments of his life, the Mexico City native was recommended for the Medal of Honor by the Marine Corps and Department of the Navy.

["[However, it was announced in September 2008 that Peralta would posthumously receive a Navy Cross vice a Medal of Honor. A board convened by Defense Secretary Robert Gates questioned whether Peralta could knowingly pull the grenade under him after being mortally wounded.

["]Hundreds of Marines, including those who served with him, were outraged upon hearing the decision. Whether he did it in his final moments of consciousness or not, he shielded his Marines from potentially fatal wounds. And they testified to that.["]

And by the way, Sergeant Peralta enlisted while carrying a green card. He became a citizen while in the United States Marines. God bless his memory and his heroism.

[Tennessee Nana]

This is great...

Honoring a real American hero...

[Tennessee Nana]

This is great...

Honoring a real American hero...

[VA_Gentleman]

Sgt. Peralta seems worthy of the CMOH to me. Thanks for your sacrifice Sgt. Peralta, and prayers to your family.

[jazusamo]

I most certainly agree with you both.

[crusadersoldier]

Excellent News!
Oliver North wrote an good article at the time about Sgt. Peralta.
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=6062

[jazusamo]

Thanks for linking Ollie’s article!

[jazusamo]

Thank you much, AM.