Posted on 11/24/2004 9:45:32 AM PST by PHANTOM21
FALLUJAH, Iraq — Sgt. Rafael Peralta built a reputation as a man who always put his Marines' interests ahead of his own.
He showed that again, when he made the ultimate sacrifice of his life Tuesday, by shielding his fellow Marines from a grenade blast.
"It's stuff you hear about in boot camp, about World War II and Tarawa Marines who won the Medal of Honor," said Lance Cpl. Rob Rogers, 22, of Tallahassee, Fla., one of Peralta's platoon mates in 1st Platoon, Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment.
Peralta, 25, as platoon scout, wasn't even assigned to the assault team that entered the insurgent safe house in northern Fallujah, Marines said. Despite an assignment that would have allowed him to avoid such dangerous duty, he regularly asked squad leaders if he could join their assault teams, they said.
One of the first Marines to enter the house, Peralta was wounded in the face by rifle fire from a room near the entry door, said Lance Cpl. Adam Morrison, 20, of Tacoma, who was in the house when Peralta was first wounded.
Moments later, an insurgent rolled a fragmentation grenade into the area where a wounded Peralta and the other Marines were seeking cover.
As Morrison and another Marine scrambled to escape the blast, pounding against a locked door, Peralta grabbed the grenade and cradled it into his body, Morrison said. While one Marine was badly wounded by shrapnel from the blast, the Marines said they believe more lives would have been lost if not for Peralta's selfless act.
"He saved half my fire team," said Cpl. Brannon Dyer, 27, of Blairsville, Ga.
The Marines said such a sacrifice would be perfectly in character for Peralta, a Mexico native who lived in San Diego and gained U.S. citizenship after joining the Marines.
"He'd stand up for his Marines to an insane point," Rogers said.
Rogers and others remembered Peralta as a squared-away Marine, so meticulous about uniform standards that he sent his camouflage uniform to be pressed while training in Kuwait before entering Iraq.
But mostly they remembered acts of selflessness: offering career advice, giving a buddy a ride home from the bar, teaching salsa dance steps in the barracks.
While Alpha Company was still gathering information, and a formal finding on Peralta's death is likely months away, not a single Marine in Alpha Company doubted the account of Peralta's act of sacrifice.
"I believe it," said Alpha's commander, Capt. Lee Johnson. "He was that kind of Marine."
Wow....
A hero, period.
Greater love has no man.....
CMOH, I hope.
He leaves this world but now he takes his rightful place in the ranks of America's heroes. 1775-2004
Like I've said before, this is another Greatest Generation.
God Bless Sgt. Peralta. He is the Best of the Best.
It's the Medal of Honor, bestowed by Congress.
Thanks for the post, welcome to FR, and may God bless you all this holiday season and beyond.
RIP - Mr. Peralta, and may God grant His peace to your family, friends, and platoon-mates.
Sandalwood
I don't know what to say. Well done...rest in peace Marine.
If a civilian is allowed to say this......Semper Fi.
"I believe it," said Alpha's commander, Capt. Lee Johnson. "He was that kind of Marine."
*********
What an exceptionally brave man.
Thanks for posting this.
The saddest, most grateful and proudest of all "Semper Fi's..."
It is really sad how the libs will never even get this...
Thanks for the welcome to you and everyone else here.
As a Gulf War 1 veteran I appreciate and support what our boys and the rest of the coalition forces are doing in Iraq and glad to see so many of you do the same.
Happy thanksgiving to all of you and to our troops abroad.
My wife would pull her eyes straight out of her head if she knew I typed this.
I'm not saying I want my boy to die or try to get killed. T
This Marine exemplifies selfless acts of bravery and dedication to his country completely. I hope my son grows up to be the sort of person who has these character traits.
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