Maj. Danny Strelkauskas, currently the commanding officer of Force Company, 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, pins the Navy Cross on Gunnery Sgt. John S. Mosser, during a ceremony at Recon Point in Camp Schwab, Okinawa, Japan, Dec. 18. Mosser was awarded the Navy Cross by Strelkauskas, who was Mosser's team leader at the time, for actions in Afghanistan on June 2008. (Official U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Jeffrey Cordero)

Gunnery Sgt. John S. Mosser, a native of Dripping Springs, TX, was awarded the Navy Cross, the nation’s second-highest award given for valor in combat, in a ceremony here Dec. 18. Maj. Danny Strelkauskas presented the award to Mosser on behalf of the President of the United States.

According the citation, Mosser, currently assigned to 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, received the award for “extraordinary heroism while serving as Team Sergeant for Marine Special Operations Company H, 2nd Marine Special Operations Battalion, Special Operations Command, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom on June 26, 2008.”

Then-SSgt. Mosser’s patrol came under heavy fire while conducting a combat reconnaissance patrol under the cover of darkness to apprehend a high value target and an enemy security element. The terrain was restrictive and mountainous with large boulders and rugged terrain along the route.

The team came upon a white sport utility vehicle off to the side of the road and a red pick up truck blocking the path. Mosser’s team dismounted from their ground mobility vehicles, and immediately came under heavy machine gun fire from elevated positions cutting off forward and rear movement.

Mosser began to fire back at the enemy targets while directing his team to cover and safety. The team returned fire with machine guns, however, could not identify the enemy’s position. Mosser left his cover and ran back into the kill zone to direct the machine-gunners back on enemy positions then back to cover.

Two Marines soon were injured with gun shots through the legs and fell back into the kill zone. Mosser and another Marine, under heavy enemy sniper fire, ran back into the kill zone returning fire on the enemy positions and provided first aid to the Marines before dragging them to safety.

Mosser then left cover again to distract the enemy’s fire on the remaining team members that were pinned downed behind their vehicles. One team member was shot in the chest and Mosser remained in the line of fire until the individuals behind their vehicles could move the wounded to a better position of cover and continue medical attention.

After an hour of returning fire and maneuvering to better firing positions, close attack support from friendly aircraft began to drop ordnance on the enemy’s position. Seeing the rounds not on target, Mosser left cover again and positioned himself in the kill zone to gain accurate map coordinates for on-target airstrikes.

Two more Marines were soon wounded and Mosser again exposed himself to enemy machine gun and sniper fire for a fifth time to provide covering fire for the movement of the casualties.

Mosser then ordered the extraction of the remaining team members trapped in the ambush to safety while coordinating the movement of vehicles. An estimated 40 enemy combatants were killed in action.

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP S.D. BUTLER, OKINAWA, Japan

“I had been in firefights before but not like that,” Mosser said Friday. “It was unique. The enemy was well entrenched and firing at us from a high angle above. We were just reacting. There wasn’t much thinking — just return fire and take cover.” [snip]

“I wasn’t the only one doing things that day,” Mosser said. “The other Marines and sailors that were with me are some of the bravest people I have had the honor of serving with.”

Strelkauskas said the gunny was humble.

“There should have been a lot more of us that died that day,” Strelkauskas said, “but because of his heroic actions, we made it out of there.”

Stars & Stripes

See also: Major Daniel Strelkauskas – Silver Star