Honoring A REAL American Hero

The following is another blog post that was written by good friend of mine Mad Drake. He did an excellent write up on Mike Monsoor. Please read what he has written, you will be glad that you did. If you would like to read Mad Drake’s other blog posts you can do so at the Des Moines Registers website. Mad Drake’s blog.

On September 29th, 2006 in Ar Ramadi Iraq, a 25 year old man by the name of Mike Monsoor distinguished himself far beyond our consideration of what a hero is. A Petty officer in Navy Seal Team Three he gave his life for his comrades; deservedly being awarded a Congressional Medal of Honor (Posthumous) for his actions. Previously he had been awarded a Silver Star, when in May of that year he ran into a street while under heavy gunfire to rescue an injured comrade. It is sad to loose such a great man, but what is worse is the fact that many have never heard of him, his selflessness, or sacrifice. By every account I have read of his personal life, and service, he was an upstanding citizen and human being. The kind you want to meet but seldom do. It matters not what your opinion is of our government’s actions over in “the sand box”, men and women who sacrifice on this level should NEVER go unnoticed, or unhonored by us. Let the government pin the medal to show gratitude, let the rest of us carry the memory of the man in our hearts and say, “Here is what an American is!”

During Monsoor’s funeral, as his coffin was being moved from the hearse to the grave site, Navy SEALs were lined up on both sides of the pall-bearers route forming a column of two’s, with the coffin moving up the center. As Monsoor’s coffin passed, each SEAL, having removed his gold Trident from his own uniform, slapped it down deeply embedding the Trident in Monsoor’s wooden coffin.

The slaps were audible from across the cemetery. By the time the coffin arrived at grave side, it looked as though it had a gold inlay from all the SEAL tridents pinned to it.

The following is from the action summary report of that day:

During Operation Kentucky Jumper, a combined Coalition battalion clearance and isolation operation in southern Ar Ramadi, he served as automatic weapons gunner in a combined SEAL and Iraqi Army (IA) sniper overwatch element positioned on a residential rooftop in a violent sector and historical stronghold for insurgents.  In the morning, his team observed four enemy fighters armed with AK-47s reconnoitering from roads in the sector to conduct follow-on attacks.  SEAL snipers from his roof engaged two of them which resulted in one enemy wounded in action and one enemy killed in action.  A mutually supporting SEAL/IA position also killed an enemy fighter during the morning hours. After the engagements, the local populace blocked off the roads in the area with rocks to keep civilians away and to warn insurgents of the presence of his Coalition sniper element.  Additionally, a nearby mosque called insurgents to arms to fight Coalition Forces.

In the early afternoon, enemy fighters attacked his position with automatic weapons fire from a moving vehicle.  The SEALs fired back and stood their ground.  Shortly thereafter, an enemy fighter shot a rocket-propelled grenade at his building.  Though well-acquainted with enemy tactics in Ar Ramadi, and keenly aware that the enemy would continue to attack, the SEALs remained on the battlefield in order to carry out the mission of guarding the western flank of the main effort.

Due to expected enemy action, the officer in charge repositioned him with his automatic heavy machine gun in the direction of the enemy’s most likely avenue of approach.  He placed him in a small, confined sniper hide-sight between two SEAL snipers on an outcropping of the roof, which allowed the three SEALs maximum coverage of the area.  He was located closest to the egress route out of the sniper hide-sight watching for enemy activity through a tactical periscope over the parapet wall. While vigilantly watching for enemy activity, an enemy fighter hurled a hand grenade onto the roof from an unseen location.  The grenade hit him in the chest and bounced onto the deck. He immediately leapt to his feet and yelled “grenade” to alert his teammates of impending danger, but they could not evacuate the sniper hide-sight in time to escape harm.  Without hesitation and showing no regard for his own life, he threw himself onto the grenade, smothering it to protect his teammates who were lying in close proximity.  The grenade detonated as he came down on top of it, mortally wounding him.

Petty Officer Monsoor’s actions could not have been more selfless or clearly intentional.  Of the three SEALs on that rooftop corner, he had the only avenue of escape away from the blast, and if he had so chosen, he could have easily escaped.  Instead, Monsoor chose to protect his comrades by the sacrifice of his own life.  By his courageous and selfless actions, he saved the lives of his two fellow SEALs and he is the most deserving of the special recognition afforded by awarding the Medal of Honor.

Take a moment to think of him and all the others who are serving us, and our country.