MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C., Dec. 22, 2004 ' In the nation's times of trouble, the Marines have always rushed to the call of duty. But for one radio technician with the 2nd Marine Division's 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, who hails from Medina, Ohio ' that call for duty brought him a bigger fight than he had ever imagined.
Cpl. Joshua J. Abraham, a 23-year-old with Company F, was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for bravery, Dec. 3, for his valorous service during Operation Iraqi Freedom. The Bronze Star is one of the Corps' top medals ' only given to those who have displayed honor and bravery under intense conditions.
The Medina High School graduate and his platoon were caught in an ambush and took heavy enemy fire. He and a couple of Marines made a quick decision to break for their High Mobility Multi-Wheeled Vehicle mounted with an M2 .50 caliber machinegun and take the insurgents head on. It was a life or death situation.
'We were caught between the bridge we were supposed to secure and a vehicle control point,' said Abraham. 'We were taking heavy fire from a palm grove when we decided to assemble a quick reaction force. It didn't matter who did it, just as long as it got done.'
The quick reaction force bombarded the insurgents with all they had … until they ran low on ammunition.
'Somebody had to run back to the control point and get ammo, so I just did it,' said Abraham, modestly. 'I grabbed as many rounds as I could carry and ran back to the Humvee.'
During the 45-minute engagement, Abraham and his fellow Marines fought for their lives with all their might. And just when it got too thick, close air support was called in to destroy the enemy stronghold.
'It was just in the nick of time when our forward air controller called in the air support,' exclaimed Abraham. 'That was the only fire fight I had been in at that point, but to this date, it's still the longest.'
His service is a testament to the battalion's long history of bravery. In a recent visit from World War II veterans of the battle of Tarawa, who fought in the South Pacific island-hopping campaigns, the battalion's commanding officer expressed his feelings.
'I got to speak to some of the survivors who landed on Tarawa back in World War II,' said Lt. Col. James G. Kyser. 'I received a great deal of pleasure in telling them of men like Corporal Abraham. And when I told them, tears welled up in their eyes. Those veterans are so very proud of Marines like Abraham and what he did.'
Currently, Abraham has hopes of trying to get a blues band together so he can enjoy one of his life's passion ' playing guitar. But in the meantime, he's training and mentoring his Marines for the next fight, whenever that may be.
'I have a few Marines who work under me and I'm proud to lead them,' said Abraham. 'I like to put it simply to them' that some people join the military for the college money, but in the Marines it's about a lot more than that; it's all or nothing.
