Hero Marine who saved comrades by falling on grenade will NOT get post- humous Medal of Honor -

Daily Mail ^ | 12/12/12 | Beth Stebner

[Nachum]

A Marine who was killed after his unconscious body fell on a live grenade during the Iraq War will not receive a posthumous Medal of Honor, it was revealed today. Sgt Rafael Peralta was 25 years old when he fell on the grenade in Fallouja, Iraq in 2004. Though he perished, his body shielded other American soldiers and saved the lives of other Marines. The Pentagon told Rep. Duncan Hunter it supports the decision of former Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who honored Sgt. Rafael Peralta with the Navy Cross instead of the military´s highest honor.

[Nachum]

Full title: Hero Marine who saved comrades by falling on grenade will NOT get post- humous Medal of Honor - because he was ´unconscious when it exploded´

-Some lines, should not be crossed

[Cicero]

This is the kind of thing that happens when you have a corrupt, thuggish, clintonoid Communist as Defence Secretary.

[Gay State Conservative]

Never having gotten many ribbons in my not-so-stellar Army career I could be wrong but isn't the Navy Cross the second highest ribbon a Marine (and a sailor) can be awarded? And how do they know that he was unconscious when it exploded and,if he was,was he unconscious when he *fell* the grenade?

[Gay State Conservative]

This is the kind of thing that happens when you have a corrupt, thuggish, clintonoid Communist as Defense Secretary.

Given that it's the *Congressional* Medal of Honor is the Secretary of Defense at all involved in its awarding? Maybe he must rule on the "merits" and forward the case to Congress? I suppose I could look it up.

[real saxophonist]

Goddammit, Peralta should get it. Enough of this crap.

[mc5cents]

So the autopsy “said” he was unconscious when he fell on the grenade, but eyewitnesses said he pulled the grenade into his body before he fell. So who do you believe? I would go with the Marines who were there and not some pathologist who was not. Pathology is not an exact science and cannot say within seconds when the brain stopped functioning.

[P-Marlowe]

It takes at least 5 minutes of being oxygen deprived before you can get to a “brain dead” state. I don’t recall seeing any grenades with fuses longer than 5 minutes, nor have I ever heard of a brain dead person “falling”.

The grenade managed to work it’s way under his body before it exploded.

Brain dead people don’t usually pull grenades under their body. They do, however, tend to vote for democrats.

[Patriot95]

This Marine did not die for the Secretary of Defense or the President, he died for our country, its people, and its freedom. This Marine currently does not give a rat’s as* about receiving the Medal of Honor. Mortal man cannot reward such sacrifice anyway.

God Bless this Marine and his family.

Semper Fidelis.

[Cicero]

I don’t know for certain, but I should think that any medal works its way up the chain of command. Probably a CMH needs to work its way all the way to the top. So it wouldn’t reach congress until the evidence was taken and considered and passed on up with the recommendations.

[yarddog]

I agree with you.

“No man has greater love than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”

[SkyPilot]

Just remember, Private Jessica Lynch was called an “American Hero” and Major Julie Metzger (now back on active duty as A Lt Col) was never prosecuted for lying and desertion. Leadership was something this nation last saw in World War 2. It is rare today.

[Patriot365]

Was there not a time when the MOH was given to those who killed or captured mass quanities of the enemy and probably died as a result. So why now must it be given to those who simply commit suicide although for a good cause? Search the Medal of Honor online and read it’s history up to the present and at a recent point in history you may see where is has been cheapened in the name of fell good politics.

[DUMBGRUNT]

MILTON L. OLIVE III

Pfc. Olive saw the grenade, and then saved the lives of his fellow soldiers at the sacrifice of his by grabbing the grenade in his hand and falling on it to absorb the blast with his body.

http://corregidor.org/heritage_battalion/moh/olive.html

THE MEN OF OLIVE COMPANY; FOUR SOLDIERS SURVIVED VIETNAM BECAUSE MILTON OLIVE DIDN’T

Chicago Tribune, 12 May 2002
By Don Terry

We are blessed to have such men.

[BluH2o]

Speaking as a former Vietnam era Marine I concur ... given the circumstances this is not worthy of the MOH. The Navy Cross is the next highest award and certainly appropriate. In the British military the Victoria Cross is the equivalent of the MOH ... rarely is it awarded for a soldier sacrificing his life by throwing his body on a grenade.

[centurion316]

I suspect that they got the facts right on this one, but it has set the bar intolerably high and demands a degree of fact gathering that is just impossible in these kinds of combat situations. He certainly did more than many other recepients, and there is no way to say without possibility of error. Consider this citation from WWII:

The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pride in presenting the Medal of Honor (Posthumously) to Rear Admiral Daniel Judson Callaghan (NSN: 0-7635), United States Navy, for extraordinary heroism and conspicuous intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty on board the U.S.S. San Francisco, during action against enemy Japanese forces off Savo Island on the night of 12 - 13 November 1942. Although out-balanced in strength and numbers by a desperate and determined enemy, Rear Admiral Callaghan, with ingenious tactical skill and superb coordination of the units under his command, led his forces into battle against tremendous odds, thereby contributing decisively to the rout of a powerful invasion fleet, and to the consequent frustration of a formidable Japanese offensive. While faithfully directing close-range operations in the face of furious bombardment by superior enemy fire power, he was killed on the bridge of his flagship. His courageous initiative, inspiring leadership, and judicious foresight in a crisis of grave responsibility were in keeping with the finest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life in the defense of his country.

Also awarded the Medal of Honor during this engagement were two others on the bridge. Captain Cassin Young, Captain of the San Francisco and LCDR Bruce McCandless on duty on the bridge. Callaghan and Young were killed as the same instant the fight began, neither was quite certain of the Japanese positions and intent. They were blown to pieces and never knew that the engagement had begun. McCandless was wounded and took command of the ship. The U.S. needed heroes and the Navy wanted to provide them. The Army did the same thing with Colin Kelly.

At least it wasn't Vera Cruz in 1914

[Teacher317]

As if the Navy Cross is an insult?

I'm all for acknowledging heroic acts... but his lights were out, and his body fell in a highly fortuitous way. The Navy Cross for his family and posterity is more than enough of a recognition.

Or do we have out MOH's like candy to anyone who dies nowadays?

[tsomer]

For what it’s worth:

A Doctor once told me of a head-shot victim he helped treat during his residency. He said the victim walked into the ER.

He was dead by morning, but fully conscience when he checked himself in. It was later that the swelling did him in.

I don’t know what caliber the slug was in either case, but it’s not unheard of.

[calex59]

Actually the Medal, as it is known to most soldiers and Marines, is given for all sorts of acts. Many living men received the Medal as well as men who died doing their brave deeds. For your edification, most Medal winners got it for falling on grenades and saving the lives of their comrades. It has always been a given that if a combatant fell on a live grenade to save others lives, he got the Medal.

This just sucks.

One of the men to receive the Medal while still living Was Audy Murphy. Most of them are awarded Posthumously.

If you doubt me on the fact that most Medal winners got it for falling on Grenades, read all the citations and see exactly what each one was awarded for.

[simplesimon]

Have you heard about SEAL Mike Monsoor ?

Here ya go :

http://www.blackfive.net/main/2008/04/us-navy-seal-mi.html

[DesertRhino]

No, we don’t hand them out like candy. But we have turned them into a cult like award, with ridiculous standards. They are also more political than ever, and are only awarded to people who also pass a public relations vetting process.
It’s a disgrace that they do not award them as they should in the modern era. Half the MOH in WWII, Korea, and Vietnam would not have been awarded under today’s standards. THAT cheapens, not enhances, the award. Douglas Macarthur got one for heavens sake, for little more than sitting in Corregidor. He was a 1941 Petraeus, thats it.

And if you think all he did was fall in a lucky manner, and that his dead body had no intent whatsoever to do anything with that grenade, then why should he even get a Navy Cross?

NO matter how the British give awards, no matter what all the REMFs think, the men with him saw exactly what he did. But i guess they were all liars.

And as for experts who say people with a fatal headshots are 100% DRT, those shot people have a funny way of not doing what you think. The guy murdered on the sidewalk in NYC a few days ago is a classic example. He was shot in the back of the head. Witnesses said half his face was gone. They said he was still trying to speak for a few seconds afterwards.

Futhermore, the absence of just distribution of awards bumps down the line. The Navy Cross isn’t given thhe way it should be because it’s the new MOH. And Bronze and silver stars even used to mean something. Now thats what they give Jessica Lynch for not firing a round, hiding in the back seat in the fetal position, and getting captured.

Nobody does what they do for medals. But it’s a travesty to cheapen the lowest medals, and to be so stingy with the top ones that they are realistically never awarded.

The truth is that our goverment simply doesn’t want to give medals to anyone for fighting moslems. Also, they do not want MOH recipients walking around another 4 or 5 decades being a pain in the a$$.