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| Marine's Medal of Honor Awarded |
| 2007-01-11 |
| President Bush today presented the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest decoration, to the family of Marine Cpl. Jason Dunham, who died shielding his fellow Marines from a grenade blast in Iraq in April 2004. General Pace with Dunham's family at Medal of Honor ceremony“With this medal, we pay tribute to the courage and leadership of a man who represents the best of young Americans,” Bush said before presenting the medal to Dunham’s family at the White House. Jason Dunham's story at link |
| Posted by:Chuck Simmins |
| #6 So here we are people. Clash of civilizations time Cpl. Dunham's last thoughts : That thing is gonna blow. I gotta save my comrades. The "insurgent" terrorist's last thought :Oh goodie! - I die killing this infidel and I get 72 doe eyed virgins in paradise... Selfless vs Selfish. Western Civilization vs. Islamic Jihadi Civiization - You decide... |
| Posted by: BigEd 2007-01-11 19:23 |
| #5 Actually, Cpl. Dunham had avidly discussed this and other details of soldierly art from the time he graduated from basic training. Based on his own thinking and that of others with more experience, he had sometime previously concluded that this was the safest and most effective way to handle the situation. He simply decided to take the action he felt necessary to protect his Marines, trusting that it would indeed work. No greater love, indeed. A friend of a friend was embedded with Cpl. Dunham's unit during the 2003 invasion, reporting for the Wall Street Journal. Subsequently, he took a year off to write about Cpl. Dunham and his unit, a paen to these brave men, and a cri de cour about the imperfections of the Marines that cause such men to be killed. The book suffered from the failings of such an enterprise -- too many people and details, a typical journalist's lack of understanding of how organizations function, whether business or military, and an emotional requirement for perfection of execution on all levels from people all too human. But as a statement of love and respect for the men he so clearly had grown to love and admire, as that the book functioned very well indeed. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2007-01-11 19:22 |
| #4 Those type of decisions are made from the core of ones soul. He never had time to think or rationalize his situation. This guy was a true hero that knew what being a leader was all about to the core of his being. God bless him. |
| Posted by: 49 Pan 2007-01-11 18:30 |
| #3 While in hand to hand combat with an insurgent he see's the insurgent drop a grenade. Instead of running away, this guy had enough sense to tell his men to run, take his helmet off, put it over the grenade and jump on top of it. All in a matter of a few seconds. I can imagine no greater Take care of him for us Big Guy. He was the finest we had to offer. |
| Posted by: Mike N. 2007-01-11 17:25 |
| #2 I remember some here questioned his action of trying to smother the grenade, but damn, he was a f*&king hero. Giving his life to save his comrades, what greater sacrifice can you ask? |
| Posted by: Frank G 2007-01-11 17:25 |
| #1 |
| Posted by: Sherry 2007-01-11 16:54 |