Navy Cross

Citation:
The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Britt Slabinski, Senior Chief Information Systems Technician (SEAL), U.S. Navy, for extraordinary heroism as Sniper Element Leader in Sea-Air-Land Team EIGHT (SEAL-8), for a joint special operations unit conducting combat operations against enemy forces during Operation ANACONDA, Sahi-Kot Valley, Afghanistan on 3 and 4 March 2002, in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM.

On the evening of 3 March, Senior Chief Petty Officer Slabinski led his seven-man reconnaissance team onto the snow-covered, 10,000 foot mountaintop known as Takur Ghar, to establish a combat overwatch position in support of U.S. Army forces advancing against the enemy on the valley floor. As their helicopter hovered over the mountain it was met by unrelenting rocket propelled grenade (RPG) and small arms fire by entrenched enemy forces. As a result of several RPG hits, a member of Senior Chief Petty Officer Slabinski’s team was ejected from the helicopter into the midst of the fortified enemy positions. The badly damaged helicopter conducted a controlled crash, at which time Senior Chief Petty Officer Slabinski immediately took charge and established security on the crash location until the crew and his team were recovered to a support base.

At this point, Senior Chief Slabinski fully aware of the overwhelming, fixed, enemy forces over the mountain, but also knowing the desperate situation of his missing teammate, now reportedly fighting for his life, without hesitation made the selfless decision to lead his team on an immediate, bold rescue mission. He heroically led the remainder of his SEAL element back onto the snow-covered, remote, mountaintop into the midst of the numerically superior enemy forces in a daring and valiant attempt to rescue one of their own. After a treacherous helicopter insertion onto the mountaintop, Senior Chief Petty Officer Slabinski led his close quarter firefight. He skillfully maneuvered his team and bravely engaged multiple enemy positions, personally clearing one bunker and killing several enemy within.

His unit became caught in a withering crossfire from other bunkers and the closing enemy forces. Despite mounting casualties, Senior Chief Petty Officer Slabinski maintained his composure and continued to engage the enemy until his position became untenable. Faced with no choice but a tactical withdrawal, he coolly directed fire from airborne assets to cover his team. He then led an arduous movement through the mountainous terrain, constantly under fire, covering over one kilometer in waist-deep snow, while carrying a seriously wounded teammate.

Arriving at a defensible position, he organized his team’s security posture and stabilized his casualties. For over fourteen hours, Senior Chief Petty Officer Slabinski directed the defense of his position through countless engagements, personally engaging the enemy and directing close air support onto the enemy positions until the enemy was ultimately defeated. During this entire sustained engagement, Senior Chief Petty Officer Slabinski exhibited classic grace under fire in steadfastly leading the intrepid rescue operation, saving the lives of his wounded men and setting the conditions for the ultimate vanquishing of the enemy and the seizing of Takur Ghar.

By his heroic display of decisive and tenacious leadership, unyielding courage in the face of constant enemy fire, and utmost devotion to duty, Senior Chief Petty Officer Slabinski reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.

Home of Heroes

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

Lance Cpl. Brady Gustafson, a machine gunner with Golf Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, stands in from of the battalion at perfect parade rest, despite the amputation of his right leg below the knee. Gustafson received the Navy Cross and a meritorious promotion to corporal during a ceremony March 27 at Lance Cpl. Torrey Grey Field. Photo by Pfc. Michael T. Gams

Lance Cpl. Brady Gustafson’s parents describe him as “reserved, loyal, stubborn and determined.”
This was proven in action July 21, 2008.

His loyalty to his fellow Marines, his stubborn nature when he refused medical treatment and his determination under enemy fire as a machine gunner with Golf Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment earned him the Navy Cross, and a place among the ranks of such Marine Corps legends as Lewis ‘Chesty’ Puller, Daniel ‘Dan’ Daly and John Basilone.

He received this medal, the highest awarded by the Navy, for his deployment to Afghanistan is support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

The Navy Cross was pinned on his chest by Lt. Col. John M. Reed, the commanding officer of 2/7, and meritorious corporal chevrons to his collar by Maj. Gen. Thomas D. Waldhauser and Sgt. Maj. Randall Carter, the commanding general and sergeant major of 1st Marine Division, at a ceremony held March 27 at Lance Cpl. Torrey L. Grey Field. The ceremony included speeches from his former and current commanding officers.

Gustafson accepted his medal at a perfect position of attention, despite missing his right leg below the knee. His entire battalion was in attendance as well as Marines from across the nation, former service members, family and friends.

According to eyewitness accounts, Gustafson’s actions that fateful day in July 2008 met and exceeded the requirements for a Navy Cross.

On July 21 Gustafson was manning the turret of the lead vehicle, a mine resistant ambush protected vehicle, or MRAP, during a four-vehicle mounted patrol riding through the streets of Shewan, Afghanistan.

That’s when things got ugly.

The patrol came under heavy fire from machine guns as well as rocket-propelled grenades from hidden insurgent positions.

One of the RPGs hit Gustafson’s MRAP, piercing its armor, rendering the driver unconscious and partially amputating Gustafson’s right leg.

Despite his injuries, Gustafson remained vigilant on his M240B machine gun, locating and accurately firing on several insurgent positions, some as close as 20 meters from the vehicle.

He remained in the turret, reloading twice and firing over 600 rounds, while Lance Cpl. Cody Comstock, an Anderson, Ind. native, applied a tourniquet to his leg.

After regaining consciousness, the driver, Cpl. Geoffrey Kamp, an Indianapolis native, put the vehicle in reverse and pushed the disabled vehicle behind them out of the kill zone.

Not until both vehicles were safe from the heavy insurgent fire and all the Marines had evacuated the burning vehicle did he allow himself to be removed from the turret for medical treatment.

“I knew I was hit,” he said. “I guess the adrenaline kept me going.”

Gustafson humbly stressed that he was only doing his job, nothing more.

“Anyone I served with would have done the same,” said the Eagan, IL native. “Heck, if it wasn’t for everyone else out there, I wouldn’t have made it.”

After being treated by corpsmen at the scene, he was transported to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany and then to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C.

Upon regaining consciousness after surgery, Gustafson called his parents to tell them what happened, said the 21 year-old.

“We were worried about him,” said his mother, Kim Gustafson. “But we knew everything would work out, God does have a plan after all.”

During 2/7’s deployment to Afghanistan, “the extraordinary became ordinary,” said Lt. Col Richard Hall, 2/7’s commanding officer during the deployment. “I underestimated my Marines and I’m in awe of what they accomplished.”

Known as the hardest hit battalion in the Marine Corps during 2008, 2/7 lost over 20 Marines and sailors and sent over 80 home with serious injuries during their eight month deployment to Afghanistan.

Lance Cpl. Brady Gustafson received the Navy Cross and a meritorious promotion to corporal during a ceremony March 27 at Lance Cpl. Torrey Grey Field.

Gustafson is now looking to the future and says he is looking forward to a bright future outside of the Marine Corps.

“I took a lot of photos in Afghanistan,” said Gustafson. “I’m going to go to college in the fall and try and make a career out of it.”

Cpl. Brady Gustafson never faltered during the ambush and his heroism helped save the lives of all the Marines involved.

The valor and courage displayed on the streets of Shewan that July day embodied the core values of the Marine Corps and sets an example for all to emulate and be proud of.

“I’m proud of all the Marines,” said Kim. “There are so many heroes, I’m so lucky to count my son among one of them.”

United States Marines
By Pfc. Michael T. Gams,
Marine Air Ground Task Force Training Command 29 Palms

For additional information about the actions of these extraordinary Marines:
Marines Stop Enemy Attack – Heroic Last Stand

Marines Duty Valor

Marines render honors while the national anthem is played during a Navy Cross ceremony in honor of two fallen Camp Lejeune Marines, Lance Cpl. Jordan Haerter, from Sag Harbor, N.Y., and Cpl. Jonathan Yale, from Burkeville, Va. Secretary of the Navy, the Honorable Dr. Donald C. Winter, presented the awards at a ceremony at the National Museum of the Marine Corps. Haerter and Yale posthumously received the Navy Cross for actions in April 2008. They are credited with saving the lives of many Marines and Iraqi police.

Secretary of the Navy, the Honorable Dr. Donald C. Winter, presents Joann Lyles, mother of Lance Cpl. Jordan Haerter, the Navy Cross, at a ceremony at the National Museum of the Marine Corps. Haerter, from Sag Harbor, N.Y., and Cpl. Jonathan Yale, from Burkeville, Va., both were posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for their heroic actions in Iraq in April 2008.

Marines stand at parade rest during a Navy Cross ceremony in honor of two fallen Camp Lejeune Marines, Lance Cpl. Jordan Haerter, from Sag Harbor, N.Y., and Cpl. Jonathan Yale, from Burkeville, Va., Secretary of the Navy, the Honorable Dr. Donald C. Winter, presented the awards at a ceremony at the National Museum of the Marine Corps.

Photos by Petty Officer 2nd Class Kevin O’Brien

Navy Cross – posthumous (2)

Those three words belong together. In the two hundred plus years that the United States Marines have served their country, the young men who served have lived up to every challenge and met every foe.

Jordan Haerter and Jon Yale went out for guard duty in the morning of April 22, 2008. Before nightfall, their actions would become the stuff of Marine legend. A hundred years from now, drill sergeants will use their names to inspire future generations of Marines.

Manning a small guard post as they had dozens of times in the past, the two Marines saw a truck speeding towards them through the string of barriers on the road. It was obvious that something was wrong, that the truck was probably a suicide bomber driving a load of explosives.

Both Marines held their ground and began shooting. The truck detonated, well short of its goal, killing the two and leveling the guard post.

But 50 Marines and Iraqi policemen in the targeted building survived.

San Diego Union-Tribune

Two of the Marines, Cpl. Jonathan Yale, 21, and Lance Cpl. Jordan Haerter, 19, earned the Navy Cross, the service’s second-highest award for valor. On guard together at the front gate of a base in Ramadi, the two men stood their ground and opened fire as a truck loaded with 2,000 pounds of explosives weaved around concrete barricades toward them.

Their gunfire slowed the truck, which exploded close to where they stood. Yale and Haerter died, and three Marines were wounded along with eight Iraqi policemen and more than 20 civilians. But their actions are credited with saving the lives of at least 50 U.S. and Iraqi troops on the base.

“I will never forget blessing Lance Cpl. Haerter’s body,” said Lt. Cmdr. William Muhm, a chaplain who spoke at the service. “I will always be grateful that I was there to do it.”

Jonathan T. Yale

Marine Cpl Jonathan T Yale, Navy Cross for valor in Iraq

Jonathan Yale was close to his mother, a single parent who gave birth to him when she was only 17. And he was the kind of guy who liked to make people happy, she said.

“He was the class clown, even when he wasn’t at school,” his mother, Rebecca Yale, said yesterday. “But he also didn’t mind sitting home with his momma to watch a chick flick with a box of Kleenex between us. He was the best boy you could ask for.” [snip]

Yale grew up in rural Meherrin, one of those “teeny tiny little Virginia towns where if you sneeze, you miss it,” Rebecca Yale said.

When he was little, Yale loved to hang out with his granddad “in the bush and the thicket,” his grandfather, William Sydnor Sr., said. “I used to call him ‘Wild Man.’ No matter how much he would get scratched up in the woods, he always wanted to go again next time . . . and he was only 5 or 6 then.”

Sydnor said his son, Yale’s father, lived with the boy off and on while he was growing up.

Yale became an “awesome skateboarder” and “one of the top paintball players” in the area, according to his mother. She said he was setting up a Web site for a paintball team he had founded.

Jordan Haerter

Lance Cpl. Jordan Haerter, Navy Cross for valor in Iraq

Lance Cpl. Jordan Haerter, 19, was from a comfortably middle-class suburb on Long Island. As a boy, he had worn military garb, and he had felt the pull of adventure and patriotism. He had just arrived in Iraq.

On April 22, the two were assigned to guard the main gate to Joint Security Station Nasser in Ramadi, the capital of Anbar province, once an insurgent stronghold and still a dangerous region. Dozens of Marines and Iraqi police lived at the compound, and some were still sleeping after all-night patrols when Yale and Haerter reported for duty that warm, sultry morning.

Yale, respected for his quiet, efficient manner, was assigned to show Haerter how to take over his duties.

Haerter had volunteered to watch the main gate, even though it was considered the most hazardous of the compound’s three guard stations because it could be approached from a busy thoroughfare.

The sun had barely risen when the two sentries spotted a 20-foot-long truck headed toward the gate, weaving with increasing speed through the concrete barriers. Two Iraqi police officers assigned to the gate ran for their lives. So did several Iraqi police on the adjacent street.

Yale and Haerter tried to wave off the truck, but it kept coming. They opened fire, Yale with a machine gun, Haerter with an M-16. Their bullets peppered the radiator and windshield. The truck slowed but kept rolling.

A few dozen feet from the gate, the truck exploded. Investigators found that it was loaded with 2,000 pounds of explosives and that its driver, his hand on a “dead-man switch,” was determined to commit suicide and slaughter Marines and Iraqi police.

The thunderous explosion rocked much of Ramadi, interrupting the morning call to prayers from the many mosques. A nearby mosque and a home were flattened. The blast ripped a crater 5 feet deep and 20 feet across into the street.

Shards of concrete scattered everywhere, and choking dust filled the air.

Haerter was dead; Yale was dying.

Three Marines about 300 feet away were injured. So were eight Iraqi police and two dozen civilians.

But several dozen other nearby Marines and Iraqi police, while shaken, were unhurt. A Black Hawk helicopter was summoned in a futile attempt to get Yale to a field hospital in time. A sheet was placed over Haerter.

When I interview heroes, or read their stories, two things stand out. They all say that they were not heroes, that they were just doing their duty. And they all say that they acted to save their fellow soldiers, sailors, airmen or Marines. I do not know what Jordan and Jon would answer to the question “Why?” but I am willing to wager that they would tell us that they did it because they were Marines and it was their duty.

Photos at Newsday

Jordan Haerter Memorial Site

Previous story

As the Marines in 1st Platoon, Alpha Company, 2nd Assault Amphibious Battalion advanced to secure the northern bridge in Nasiriyah, Iraq, on March 23, 2003, it seemed to then-Seaman Apprentice Luis Fonseca, a Navy hospital corpsman, that all hell had broken loose.

“As we came up and over the bridge, we ran right into an ambush,” he said from his current assignment aboard the USS Bataan. “They threw all they had at us — small-arms fire, heavy machine-gun fire, rocket-propelled grenades, mortars and artillery rounds.”

That’s when Fonseca got the call from then-Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. David Myers, asking him to check on the Marines in one of the vehicles that had been hit.

Trading his communications helmet for Kevlar, the corpsman on his first deployment grabbed his medical bag and headed for the vehicle, which by then was in flames. Five Marines had suffered at least shrapnel wounds.

“I noticed I had two patients with partial lower-leg amputations, one with flash burns to his eyes, and all had shrapnel wounds,” Fonseca said. “I applied tourniquets on the two Marines with the partial leg amputations and instructed the other Marines around to apply battle dressings on the others that were wounded.”

Fonseca decided to move the wounded Marines to his vehicle to get them out of the middle of what became a six-and-a-half-hour firefight. After reassessing wounds and administering morphine to the two troops with partial leg amputations, Fonseca got a call that another vehicle had been hit.

Normally, the column is lined up in numerical order. In the midst of the firefight, as the vehicles maneuvered to gain an advantage, they got out of order.

Fonseca couldn’t find vehicle C206 and returned to his own vehicle just as the enemy got what he described as four lucky hits.

“Two of them were on our right side. One was on our center top hatch. All three were … 122 mm mortar rounds,” he said. “The fourth and final round that disabled the truck was a recoilless rifle round that blew up our transmission.”

When the smoke cleared, the wounded Marines were transferred to another vehicle and moved out of the area — all but one.

“I picked up the last Marine … and carried him to a ditch,” Fonseca said. “The Marine and I sat in the ditch for about 30 minutes before I could get another vehicle to pick us up and drive us out of there.”

When Fonseca had gotten all his patients to the 2nd Battalion, 8th Marines’ corpsman, he turned around and headed back to the fight, where he rejoined his platoon.

“We lost about 18 Marines that day,” he said. “Fifteen others were wounded and left the battlefield, and about 10 others [who] were wounded … stayed.”

Fonseca, now a petty officer 2nd class, treated about a dozen Marines during that firefight, and as far as he knows, all of them survived their injuries. He was determined not to let them down. “As long as I was alive, I would keep working, even if it meant my life,” he said.

Fonseca was awarded the Navy Cross for his efforts to ensure the safety and well-being of the Marines under his care during the battle of Nasiriyah.

Though he was honored to have received it, he said, he doesn’t feel the medal truly belongs to him.

“The Navy Cross means to me honor, sacrifice and loyalty,” Fonseca said. “Honor because it is my honor to wear the Navy Cross for my brothers that gave their lives in that fight. So, it’s my honor to wear their Navy Cross that honors them. A lot of men sacrificed that day. Unfortunately, some families and friends had to sacrifice their loved ones.”

Since that first tour in Iraq, Fonseca has been back to Iraq once, and has served a tour in Afghanistan. He is married, and the couple has two sons.

DoD
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service

Navy Cross

October 5, 2006 Post

Eyewitness to War – Army Oral History [pdf]

MM: It seems to me that this was the fight that took place in Iraq. Historically,
I can’t find anything that compares. You can go back as far as you want in history
and look in vain for a situation where a city’s been almost depleted of the civilian
population and you know the whole city is fi lled only with bad guys. I really can’t
fi nd anything like that. It’s unparalleled in history.
MS: I think you’re right. I can’t find any place in history either where we ever
had a clean battlefi eld like this to fi ght the enemy. It was like a ghost town, and I’m
sure that some of the guys talked to you about that. The citizens knew what was
going to happen. They knew no one was going to stop on this one, so they left. The
only people left were the bad guys that wanted to get the muj’ on, and we were
ready to get the muj’ on with them. There’s never a place where the conditions are
set up for a good battle, but we were very lucky, and we were lucky because of
good soldiers, good Marines, good sailors and airmen that really did their job – and
I think the nation should be very proud of them. I’ll tell you, I sure am. We had a
lot of casualties, but also a lot of great things, and there are quite a lot of awards
that are still outstanding. I think there are two Medals of Honor still going through
the process, a number of Navy Crosses going through, and I’m anxious for these
guys to get these awards, too. PFC Christopher Adlesperger from 3/5 – he fought
for over 45 minutes defending his squad and killed at least a squad-sized element.
He died later on in the battle, but what he did that day, I don’t think anyone of us
will ever forget it.

LA Tmes

Marine Lance Cpl. Christopher Adlesperger, who was killed during the battle in Fallouja in 2004, has been selected for the Navy Cross, the Marine Corps’ second highest medal for combat bravery, the corps announced Monday.

The medal recognizes Adlesperger’s actions on Nov. 10, 2004, when he saved the lives of innumerable Marines by showing leadership and courage during an assault on a heavily armed insurgent stronghold.

In 30 minutes of close combat, Adlesperger killed at least 11 insurgents and protected two squad members who had been wounded, allowing Marines to destroy the site.

His squad had been assigned the dangerous duty of searching dozens of houses in the opening phase of Operation Phantom Fury.

Adlesperger received a meritorious promotion but was killed a month later during another mission to clear a structure of insurgents.

He was 20 and a member of Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment.

The Navy Cross that is to be given to members of Adlesperger’s family in a ceremony next month at Camp Pendleton is the 15th bestowed on a Marine for combat in Iraq and Afghanistan, officials said.

Adlesperger, a native of New Mexico, left college to enlist and was on his first tour of duty in Iraq.

Marines who fought beside Adlesperger remembered him as soft-spoken, religious and fiercely loyal to his fellow Marines.

After the Nov. 10 fight, he explained that his goal had been to rescue a wounded Marine.

Even for Marines accustomed to battlefield deaths, Adlesperger’s death on Dec. 9, 2004, was emotionally wrenching.

“He was loved by everybody,” said Gunnery Sgt. Paul Starner, his platoon leader.

Adlesperger’s courage was the subject of a front-page story in The Times on Oct. 3, 2006.

Navy Cross

United States Marine Corps

Lance Cpl. Todd Corbin and the rest of his battalion commander’s personal security detachment had just finished several days of routine patrol and had returned to Hadithah Dam when they got the call.

A platoon from the battalion was taking fire on the east side of the Euphrates River, and they needed Marines to block the insurgents’ retreat. Corbin hopped into his 7-ton truck, while other members of the detachment — which was now a quick-reaction force — piled into three Humvees and two tanks and barreled east toward the action.

By the end of May 7, 2005, four Marines would lose their lives, but Corbin’s role in saving more than half of the QRF would earn him the Navy Cross more than a year later. A Marine driving the third Humvee, then-Cpl. Jeff Schuller, would later receive the Silver Star.

That day, the QRF consisting mostly of leathernecks from 3rd Battalion, 25th Marines, passed plenty of Iraqis on its way to the west side of the river, but once it passed under the gate into Hadithah, “there was no one out, nothing moving,” Corbin said.

Passing an alley perpendicular to the road, the convoy started turning around. Before the vehicles could all face north, Corbin said, “all hell broke loose.”

A white van tore out of the alley and blew up between two of the Humvees. Then, another explosion “came out of nowhere,” said Corbin, who still isn’t even sure if it was from a roadside bomb or a rocket-propelled grenade. Meanwhile, the enemy pelted the Marines with RPGs, mortars and small-arms fire in a “choke point” surrounded by high ground, Corbin said.

“It was a total nightmare,” said Schuller, now a 26-year-old sergeant.

A Navy corpsman and three QRF Marines — two sergeants and a lance corporal — were killed instantly. Only five of the remaining 15 Marines were unscathed, leaving more than half of the QRF killed or injured, Schuller said.

Corbin, 32, who has since been promoted to corporal, “leapt into the enemy fire, directing Marines to engage and marking targets,” his Navy Cross citation states. He ran to his patrol leader, a seriously injured sergeant, threw him over his shoulder and ran back to the 7-ton, all the while “firing at the enemy with his off-hand,” the citation states.

“He just jumped [out of the 7-ton] and took over,” said Schuller, who added that they were down to uninjured corporals and lance corporals running the QRF at that point. “He immediately started getting the killed and wounded, not thinking of himself.”

When the gunner for Schuller’s Humvee, Lance Cpl. Mark Kalinowski, was hit in the wrist with shrapnel, Schuller jumped up and took the lance corporal’s spot behind the M240G machine gun.

Under intense enemy fire, Schuller gunned down insurgents shooting from the windows, doorways and roof of a nearby hospital, and others shooting from another roof and the alley. He swung his machine gun back and forth between targets for nearly 40 minutes, according to his Silver Star citation, using all of his ammo — short of launching a rocket.

“When the 240 went dry, [Kalinowski] handed me my M16 with a full magazine … as I got the M16 empty, he had a new box of 240 [ammo] waiting for me,” Schuller said.

As that was happening, Corbin raced back and forth through the kill zone, dragging Marines back to the 7-ton. He said he can’t remember how many times he ran across the firing zone.

At one point, Corbin and a wounded Marine were carrying their corpsman to the 7-ton when the enemy opened up with small-arms fire at close range. Corbin leaned over the corpsman to shield him from the action while Schuller pushed back the enemy with his machine gun, the citation says.

Since one gunner had been killed and two were wounded, Corbin said, only one gunner was left, firing a Mark 19 from the 7-ton. When the Mark 19 jammed, the only remaining gunner was Schuller, Corbin said.

“My biggest worry was that we were gonna run out of ammo,” said Schuller, who even fired his 9mm pistol. Schuller was “just short of shooting my AT4 and throwing my Ka-bar” before he dismounted, he said.

He then ran to the 7-ton and helped Corbin load Schuller’s vehicle commander, who had been killed, before he returned through enemy fire to guide Kalinowski to the 7-ton.

Grabbing magazines of ammo from Corbin, Schuller fired his rifle while the rest of the QRF packed into the 7-ton. Any Marine who could fire a weapon had it pointed out of the truck, firing at insurgents, Corbin said. “The 7-ton looked like a porcupine with all these weapons sticking out of it,” he said. It also had three flat tires and a shot-up radiator.

“I don’t even know how this vehicle even ran,” Corbin said.

“The whole platoon rolled out in that 7-ton,” Schuller said. “It’s a testament to Cpl. Corbin’s knowledge of that vehicle that he kept it running.”

Corbin was flipping switches the whole time he drove the five miles back to the battalion aid station, Schuller said.

“Because of [Corbin’s] heroism, no Marine lost his life after the initial attack,” the citation states.

Corbin and Schuller received their medals during a ceremony July 4, 2006 at 3/25’s headquarters in Brook Park, Ohio, an event Schuller said was humbling and a little surreal.

“In hindsight, would I do that again? Hell, I don’t know,” Corbin said. “It’s a situation you want to say yeah, every time, but you don’t know,” he said. “It’s just what you’re trained for … and you do it for your buddies. “I live my life for those who didn’t come home.”

Navy Cross

Citation

For extraordinary heroism in actions against the enemy while serving in a four-man Special Reconnaissance element with SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team ONE, Naval Special Warfare Task unit, Afghanistan from 27 to 28 June 2005. Petty Officer Dietz demonstrated extraordinary heroism in the face of grave danger in the vicinity of Asadabad, Konar Province, Afghanistan.

Operating in the middle of an enemy-controlled area, in extremely rugged terrain, his Special Reconnaissance element was tasked with locating a high-level Anti-Coalition Militia leader, in support of a follow-on direct action mission to disrupt enemy activity. On 28 June 2005, the element was spotted by Anti-Coalition Militia sympathizers, who immediately revealed their position to the militia fighters. As a result, the element directly encountered the enemy. Demonstrating exceptional resolve and fully understanding the gravity of the situation and his responsibility to his teammates, Petty Officer Dietz fought valiantly against the numerically superior and positionally advantaged enemy force. Remaining behind in a hailstorm of enemy fire, Petty Officer Dietz was wounded by enemy fire.

Despite his injuries, he bravely fought on, valiantly defending his teammates and himself in a harrowing gunfight, until he was mortally wounded. By his undaunted courage in the face of heavy enemy fire, and absolute devotion to his teammates, Petty Officer Dietz will long be remembered for the role he played in the Global War on Terrorism. Petty Officer Dietz’ courageous and selfless heroism, exceptional professional skill, and utmost devotion to duty reflected great credit upon him and were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for the cause of freedom.

This is the same battle for which Petty Officer 2nd Class Matthew G. Axelson received his Navy Cross.

8/31/2006

9/22/2006

Navy Cross

Marine Corps Times

His actions on Nov. 11, 2004, in Fallujah, Iraq, have earned him the Navy Cross, the Navy’s second highest award for valor. The medal was presented to him during a ceremony at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, S.C., during a recruit graduation ceremony Jan. 19.

McDade, a drill instructor with Charlie Company, 1st Recruit Training Battalion, was a machine-gun squad leader with 1st Platoon, Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 8th Marines, in Iraq in 2004.

On the night of Nov. 11, as the Marines in the platoon moved south into the city, they entered an alley where they immediately met a barrage of small-arms and machine-gun fire, according to McDade’s citation.

“In the opening seconds of the engagement, three Marines were seriously wounded as the well-positioned and expecting enemy pinned others down,” the citation states.

McDade “rushed from the rear of the platoon column toward the kill zone,” leading a machine-gun team into the alley to spray suppressive fire at insurgents.

The wounded Marines were pinned down under a blanket of gunfire that spewed furiously every time the other Marines tried to reach their injured comrades.

McDade told the platoon sergeant that he would get them.

“He just informed me that if I got hit he wasn’t going to be able to help me right then,” McDade said in an interview. “I wasn’t just going to let them sit out there like sitting ducks. They needed me, and I went.”

McDade, a fast-talking Houston native, described the alleyway as “real hot” as he dashed toward the first of the three injured Marines.

Using his body to cover the wounded leatherneck, McDade told him to pull his gear loose and then pulled the Marine over his shoulder.

“At first, he was on my shoulder, but there were a lot of rounds coming down the alleyway, so I kind of tossed him over,” he said.

McDade went back a second time, instructing the next wounded Marine to remove his gear before hauling him to safety.

The third Marine, a corporal killed in the alley, was also pulled from the kill zone.

WTOC 11

“We encountered an ambush in the alley way in Falujah,” said McDade. “They were pinned down and we were immobile. I talked with my gunner and told him I would go out of there. I went out there with the best of my ability and did what I could do. I got three Marines out of an ambush, one had a severed left leg.”

While his acts are heroic in most of our minds, Sgt McDade says it was just part of his duty.

“No time to think, you have a mission and you need to get it done,” said McDade. “If you think about getting shot, that is more than likely what will happen.”

McDade remains humble about receiving the second highest award in the Marine Corps.

“It was an award for me but it was on behalf of all the Marines,” said McDade. “Like I said, the Marines who have fallen, the new Marines today and the Marines that deserve recognition that have not been recognized yet, so I feel good, but if I could give it back, though, I would for the Marine’s life to come back.”

U.S. Marines prepare to step off on a patrol through the city of Fallujah, Iraq, to clear the city of insurgent activity and weapons caches as part of Operation al Fajr (New Dawn) on Nov. 26, 2004. The Marines are (from left to right) Platoon Sergeant Staff Sgt. Eric Brown, Machine Gun Section Leader Sgt. Aubrey McDade, Radio Operator Cpl. Steven Archibald, and Combat Engineer Lance Cpl. Robert Coburn. All are assigned to 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division conducting security and stabilization operations in the Al Anbar Province of Iraq. DoD photo by Staff Sgt. Jonathan C. Knauth, U.S. Marine Corp.

Navy Cross

Marine Corps News

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. (May 3, 2004) — Marine Sgt. Marcos A. Martinez received the Navy Cross from the Secretary of the Navy, Honorable Gordon R. England, during a ceremony Monday at 5th Marine Regiment parade deck here.

“These brave Marines did good things without notice,” said England, “and without the acclaim of crowds. But they got the acclaim of their fellow Marines.”

Martinez, 22, a Las Cruces, N.M., native, received the naval service’s second highest award for extraordinary heroism while serving as first fire team leader for 2nd squad, 1st Platoon, Golf Company, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom April 12, 2003. The Medal of Honor is the highest military award.

A corporal at the time, Martinez responded to a call to reinforce 1st Platoon, which was under attack by enemy forces. Under fire, Martinez deployed his team in supporting positions for a squad assault.

He assumed control after his squad leader was wounded. While other Marines tended to the wounded squad leader, Martinez single-handedly assaulted the building and killed four enemy soldiers with a grenade and his rifle.

“All of the training is what helped me out,” said Martinez. “I relied on my training.”

USA Today

The battle for Baghdad in April 2003 ended with the collapse of the Iraqi government and military under Saddam Hussein.

It took less than three weeks, but there were many fights in around the capital before it ended.

Sgt. Joseph Perez, 26, was the lead man in a squad that was out front of a Marine force moving into the city on April 4. With the Marines under intense fire, Perez, then a lance corporal, led a charge down a trench, firing his rifle and throwing a grenade to kill enemy fighters.

At one point he destroyed a machine gun bunker with a rocket launcher, killing four Iraqis. That allowed his squad to capture that position.

According to his citation, Perez continued to advance and fire at enemy fighters. Wounded by gunfire, he still directed his squad members to where they could open fire and finish off the enemy fighters.

On April 8, Sgt. Scott Montoya, was organizing Marine defenses when a company came under attack. Five different times, Montoya, 37, a Marine reservist, ran across open ground swept by enemy fire to rescue people. When an Iraqi civilian car was caught in the crossfire, Montoya dragged a wounded passenger to safety.

He led a dazed Marine to safety, dragged another one who was unconscious out of the line of fire and rescued a third, carrying him several hundred yards.

“My legs were burning like there was battery acid pumping through them,” says Montoya, today a sheriff’s deputy in Orange County, Calif. “I knew there was no way, while I had a breath of air in my lungs that I was going to leave that Marine lying there.”

On April 12, former Marine Cpl. Marco Martinez, 25, led an assault on Iraqi positions in Tarmiya, just north of Baghdad. When his squad leader was struck down by a grenade blast, Martinez assumed command. He led his Marines first through one building filled with enemy fighters and then into a second compound where resistance was even stiffer.

After a wall was breached in that second compound, Martinez led his troops into a large courtyard where they immediately came under fire from an adobe shed transformed by Iraqi fighters into a bunker. The Marines were pinned down behind palm trees.

The fighting became furious. Martinez spotted an enemy rocket launcher on the ground and ran into the open to retrieve it. He was trying to figure out how to fire it when a Marine near him was struck by a bullet in the spine. He dropped to the ground paralyzed.

Enemy riflemen turned their attention on the fallen Marine. Reacting to this, Martinez finally managed to fire the rocket at the bunker. This stunned the Iraqis for several seconds, allowing two other Marines to rush to aid their fallen comrade.

Gunfire from the bunker quickly resumed. So Martinez charged at it, emptying his rifle and then prepping a grenade which he threw into a gunport on the shed. The explosion killed all but one fighter inside. That man aimed his rifle at Martinez but Martinez killed him first.

“Within seconds, I stopped the firefight right there with that,” he said.

Perez, Montoya and Martinez each received the Navy Cross.

Navy Cross

Marine Corps News

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. (May 6, 2004) — Marine Pfc. Joseph B. Perez received the Navy Cross Medal from the Commandant of the United States Marine Corps, Gen. Michael W. Hagee, during an awards ceremony Thursday at Marine Corps Air-Ground Training Center, Twentynine Palms, Calif.

Perez, 23, a Houston, Texas, native, received the naval service’s second highest award for extraordinary heroism while serving as a rifleman with Company I, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom April 4, 2003. The Medal of Honor is the highest military award.

Three other Marines received medals for valor at the same ceremony.

“They are the reflection of the Marine Corps type who’s service to the Marine Corps and country is held above their own safety and lives,” said Gen. Hagee, commenting on the four Marines who received medals during the ceremony. “I’m proud to be here awarding the second highest and third highest awards for bravery to these great Marines.”

“These four Marines are a reflection of every Marine and sailor in this great battalion,” said Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps, Sgt. Maj. John L. Estrada.

1st Platoon came under intense enemy fire while clearing near Route 6 during the advance into Baghdad. Perez, the point man for the lead squad, and therefore the most exposed member of the platoon, came under the majority of these fires.

Without hesitation, he continuously fired his M16A4 rifle to destroy the enemy while calmly directing accurate fires for his squad. He led the charge down a trench destroying the enemy and while closing and under tremendous enemy fire, threw a grenade into a trench that the enemy was occupying. While under a heavy volume of fire, Perez fired an AT-4 rocket into a machine gun bunker, completely destroying it and killing four enemy personnel. His actions enabled the squad to maneuver safely to the enemy position and seize it.

In an effort to link up with 3rd Platoon on his platoon’s left flank, Perez continued to destroy enemy combatants with precision rifle fire. As he worked his way to the left, he was hit by enemy fire, sustaining gunshot wounds to his torso and shoulder. Despite being seriously injured, Perez directed the squad to take cover and gave the squad accurate fire direction to the enemy that enabled the squad to reorganize and destroy the enemy.

“It is unreal, it is not what I expected, it is unbelievable,” Perez said. “This is real weird for me, because, I am not big on special events,” said Perez.

USA Today

The battle for Baghdad in April 2003 ended with the collapse of the Iraqi government and military under Saddam Hussein.

It took less than three weeks, but there were many fights in around the capital before it ended.

Sgt. Joseph Perez, 26, was the lead man in a squad that was out front of a Marine force moving into the city on April 4. With the Marines under intense fire, Perez, then a lance corporal, led a charge down a trench, firing his rifle and throwing a grenade to kill enemy fighters.

At one point he destroyed a machine gun bunker with a rocket launcher, killing four Iraqis. That allowed his squad to capture that position.

According to his citation, Perez continued to advance and fire at enemy fighters. Wounded by gunfire, he still directed his squad members to where they could open fire and finish off the enemy fighters.

On April 8, Sgt. Scott Montoya, was organizing Marine defenses when a company came under attack. Five different times, Montoya, 37, a Marine reservist, ran across open ground swept by enemy fire to rescue people. When an Iraqi civilian car was caught in the crossfire, Montoya dragged a wounded passenger to safety.

He led a dazed Marine to safety, dragged another one who was unconscious out of the line of fire and rescued a third, carrying him several hundred yards.

“My legs were burning like there was battery acid pumping through them,” says Montoya, today a sheriff’s deputy in Orange County, Calif. “I knew there was no way, while I had a breath of air in my lungs that I was going to leave that Marine lying there.”

On April 12, former Marine Cpl. Marco Martinez, 25, led an assault on Iraqi positions in Tarmiya, just north of Baghdad. When his squad leader was struck down by a grenade blast, Martinez assumed command. He led his Marines first through one building filled with enemy fighters and then into a second compound where resistance was even stiffer.

After a wall was breached in that second compound, Martinez led his troops into a large courtyard where they immediately came under fire from an adobe shed transformed by Iraqi fighters into a bunker. The Marines were pinned down behind palm trees.

The fighting became furious. Martinez spotted an enemy rocket launcher on the ground and ran into the open to retrieve it. He was trying to figure out how to fire it when a Marine near him was struck by a bullet in the spine. He dropped to the ground paralyzed.

Enemy riflemen turned their attention on the fallen Marine. Reacting to this, Martinez finally managed to fire the rocket at the bunker. This stunned the Iraqis for several seconds, allowing two other Marines to rush to aid their fallen comrade.

Gunfire from the bunker quickly resumed. So Martinez charged at it, emptying his rifle and then prepping a grenade which he threw into a gunport on the shed. The explosion killed all but one fighter inside. That man aimed his rifle at Martinez but Martinez killed him first.

“Within seconds, I stopped the firefight right there with that,” he said.

Perez, Montoya and Martinez each received the Navy Cross.

Here is the citation awarding the Navy Cross to Petty Officer 2nd Class Matthew G. Axelson.

Home of Heroes

For extraordinary heroism in actions against the enemy while serving in a four-man Special Reconnaissance element with SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team ONE, Naval Special Warfare Task unit, Afghanistan from 27 to 28 June 2005. Petty Officer Axelson demonstrated extraordinary heroism in the face of grave danger in the vicinity of Asadabad, Konar Province, Afghanistan. Operating in the middle of an enemy-controlled area, in extremely rugged terrain, his Special Reconnaissance element was tasked with locating a high-level Anti-Coalition Militia leader, in support of a follow-on direct action mission to disrupt enemy activity. On 28 June 2005, the element was spotted by Anti-Coalition Militia sympathizers, who immediately revealed their position to the militia fighters. As a result, the element directly encountered the enemy. Demonstrating exceptional resolve and fully understanding the gravity of the situation, Petty Officer Axelson’s element bravely engaged the militia, who held both a numerical and positional advantage. The ensuing firefight resulted in numerous enemy personnel killed, with several of the Navy members suffering casualties. Ignoring his injuries and demonstrating exceptional composure, Petty Officer Axelson advised the teammate closest to him to escape while he provided cover fire. With total disregard for his own life and thinking only of his teammate’s survival, he continued to attack the enemy, eliminating additional militia fighters, until he was mortally wounded by enemy fire. A champion of freedom, Petty Officer Axelson will be remembered for his self-sacrificing actions in the continuing Global War on Terrorism. By his undaunted courage, fortitude under fire, and unwavering dedication to duty, Petty Officer Axelson reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for the cause of freedom.

Prior post August 31, 2006

Navy Cross

ABC 7

Donna and Corky Axelson live with a mix of emotion. Their tears represent both pride and anguish.

Donna Axelson, mother: “He was just a wonderful young man.” Donna is talking about her 29-year-old son, Matthew Axelson. He was one of three Navy seals killed last June during a counter terrorism mission in Afghanistan.

Rebels also shot down a helicopter carrying 16 reinforcements making it the deadliest operation in Naval special forces history.

The Axelson’s have an impressive collection spanning their son’s five year military career — there’s a silver star, a purple heart and the Navy and Marine Corps commendation medal. Now this son, brother and husband will receive the Navy Cross, a recognition second only to the Congressional Medal of Honor.

Corky Axelson, father: “We are proud of our son if he didn’t get any of these medals, but this is special.”

The military says Axelson showed extraordinary heroism, providing fire cover for one of his fellow seals even as he was under attack. That courage does not surprise his older brother Jeff.

Jeff Axelson, brother: “Yeah, I looked up to him even though he is a little brother.”

As the nation debates the high price of war, this Cupertino family stands by the president and his military mission in Iraq and Afghanistan. Donna Axelson, mother: “I don’t think there is anybody who favors war but sometimes I think it’s necessary and this war on terror is necessary.”

The Axelson’s say the Navy Cross they will receive next month in Washington D.C. recognizes Matthew but honors everyone in uniform. Corky Axelson, father: “There’s a lot of people that put their life on the line not to be a hero but just because of what they believe in.”

The Navy Cross will be presented to the Axelson family at a special ceremony on September 13, two days after the anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center.

CNN

The fourth man’s body was found Sunday with the help of local Afghans, said the military, which late Monday identified him as Petty Officer 2nd Class Matthew G. Axelson, 29, of Cupertino, California.

Axelson was found near the other two bodies and died in a shootout, according to an initial assessment from the field, a senior defense official said.

This senior official said that “no way” had the SEAL ever been in captivity, contrary to Taliban claims that he had been abducted.

“(He) was located during a combat search-and-rescue operation July 10 in Kunar province,” the military said in a statement. “The location and disposition of the service member’s remains indicate he died while fighting off enemy terrorists on or about June 28.”

Honolulu Advertiser

The avid golfer probably could have made the PGA Tour if he set his mind to it, the program went on to say.

His heart and soul, however, belonged to the Navy SEALs.

During a secret mission, Axelson’s four-man team was trapped by Taliban forces and called for help. Helicopters were sent to pull the team out, but 16 troops, including three other SEALs from Pearl Harbor, died when a helicopter crashed under enemy fire. The fifth SEAL from Pearl Harbor killed during the mission and rescue was part of Axelson’s team.

Axelson’s body was found near the helicopter crash site in an area that had been searched but was difficult to survey because of high peaks and heavy tree cover, a military spokesman said. “It’s kind of bittersweet,” said Lt. Col. Jerry O’Hara, a military spokesman. “We are severely disappointed that we didn’t find him alive, but we are also relieved at the fact that he’s no longer lost up in those mountains.”

Rear Adm. Joseph Maguire, commander of the Naval Special Warfare Command at Pearl Harbor, said Axelson’s body was found in roughly the same area where the bodies of two other SEALs were found. “It was his platoonmates that went out, were the ones that found him and the ones that brought him home,” Maguire said.

Axelson was raised in Cupertino, Calif., a town with a population of about 50,000 south of San Francisco and east of San Jose. He joined the Navy in 2000 and underwent extensive training before being sent to Hawai’i. He was deployed to Afghanistan in March.

Axelson, who earned a degree in political science from California State University-Chico, is being posthumously awarded the Silver Star, the Purple Heart and the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal.

Maguire said rumors of Axelson being captured and a statement from a purported Taliban spokesman that Axelson had been beheaded were “absolutely false.” U.S. military spokesman Col. James Yonts said the injuries on Axelson’s body were consistent with “a firefight, a combat operation with small-arms fire, RPG (rocket-propelled grenade) rounds.”

He is survived by his wife, Cindy; father, Cordell; mother, Donna; and brother Jeff.

Thanks to John with H&I Fires

Navy Cross

By Gunnery Sgt. Keith A. Milks, Camp Pendleton

His desert utilities shredded by shrapnel and streaked with his own blood and that of his fellow Marines, Cpl. Robert J. Mitchell Jr. limped out of the cement block house in downtown Fallujah, Iraq, and into the annals of Marine Corps history.

The day was Nov. 13, 2004, and according to the Marine Corps’ official account of the fierce, close quarters battle, Mitchell ignored his own wounds and repeatedly braved enemy fire to administer first aid to and evacuate other Marines wounded in the fight.

Nearly two years after that fateful day, in a solemn ceremony at Camp Pendleton, Calif., Mitchell received the Navy Cross from Lt. Gen. John F. Sattler, commander of the I Marine Expeditionary Force. The Navy Cross is the nation’s second-highest award for battlefield heroism.

“This is a truly special occasion,” said Sattler, addressing the assembled Marines and guests after presenting the award. “Valor comes in a scale, and all the Marines, sailors, and veterans here today know how rare of an occasion this is.”

As a cool, dry wind snapped the flags around the parade deck, Mitchell choked back tears as he thanked God, his family, and his fellow Marines for their support and attending the ceremony.

Mitchell joined the Marine Corps in early 2001, and was on his second tour in Iraq with the 1st Marine Division when Coalition forces launched a joint U.S.-Iraqi offensive to reclaim Fallujah from insurgents who had fortified the city.

Dubbed Operation Al Fajr (aka Phantom Fury), the assault on Fallujah kicked off on Nov. 8, 2004, and quickly turned into a bloody, street-by-street contest with then-Corporal Mitchell and his fellow Marines in Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, in the thick of the fighting.

Day by day, Mitchell and his squad pushed through the city, methodically clearing pockets of enemy resistance as they progressed. During an assault against an insurgent strong point on Nov. 12, Mitchell was shot through the right tricep, but ignored the wound to help destroy the fortified position, and later refused medical evacuation to remain with his squad.

The next day, an assault against a squat, cement house had gone horribly wrong and several wounded Marines lay trapped inside with several well-fortified insurgents waiting in ambush positions. Mitchell’s squad got the call to come and assist.

“When the call came, we knew we had to get them out,” said Mitchell. “That became the mission – the only mission.”

Once on the scene, the Iowa native quickly established a casualty collection point and organized his men to assault the building. Then-1st Sgt. Bradley A. Kasal, the senior enlisted Marine from another company, joined Mitchell’s squad, and together, they charged the building and took up firing positions.

The first floor of the house was littered with dead or dying insurgents, and the wounded Marines lay further inside. Other enemy fighters were in fortified positions on the roof looking down through a skylight, creating a kill zone between Mitchell and the wounded Marines.

Covered by suppressive fire, Mitchell raced through the kill zone toward the wounded Marines as the rooftop insurgents showered the room below with rifle fire and grenades. Shrapnel from one of the grenades peppered the back of Mitchell’s legs, but he made it to the stranded, wounded Marines.

“It was great to see him come in,” said Cpl. Jose Sanchez, an infantryman from Houston, Texas. “Until he got there I was switching between treating Carlisle (Lance Cpl. Cory) and providing security. When Corporal Mitchell came in, he took over the medical treatment and I could focus on firing at the insurgents.”

A trained combat lifesaver, Mitchell went to work on Carlisle’s bullet-mangled leg. With his medical supplies running out, he once again orchestrated suppression of the insurgents on the roof to allow a corpsman and another Marine to sprint through the kill zone.

By this time, both Kasal and another Marine, Pfc. Class Alex Nicoll, had been seriously wounded by rifle fire and grenades, and were holed up inside a small room across the kill zone Mitchell had crossed only moments before.

Leaving the wounded Marines in the care of the corpsman, Mitchell once again braved the kill zone, and like before, the insurgents sprayed the short, treacherous path with bullets and grenades. One bullet smashed into Mitchell’s M-16A4 assault rifle, shattering the weapon before ricocheting down and into his right leg. More shrapnel slashed Mitchell’s legs and face, yet he remained on his feet and made it to Kasal and Nicoll, who was Mitchell’s former roommate and longtime friend.

Bleeding profusely, but apparently unmindful of his wounds, Mitchell began treating the others, applying bandages and direct pressure in an attempt to staunch the wounded Marines’ blood loss. In the midst of his life-saving efforts, Mitchell scanned the room and saw a wounded insurgent, shot earlier by Kasal, make a move for a weapon laying nearby.

Mitchell quickly drew his combat knife and lunged forward, driving the weapon into the insurgent, eliminating the threat for good before turning his attention back to Kasal and Nicoll. With Marines scattered throughout the small house and the insurgents still firmly entrenched on the roof and a nearby stairwell denying access to any additional forces, the situation was quickly deteriorating.

Through a small, barred window in the room, Mitchell explained to Marines outside the layout of the house and where Marines were located throughout the structure. With this information, the Marines were able to suppress the insurgents on the roof via firing positions on adjacent structures, and one-by-one, extract the wounded Marines from the building which has since been dubbed the “House of Hell.”

The photograph of a bloody Kasal, now a sergeant major and himself a Navy Cross recipient, being helped from the house by two Marines is one of the more resonant images of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Despite his own severe wounds, Mitchell was among the last to leave the house, and did so assisting another wounded Marine. Demolition charges were quickly flung into the house, and the resulting explosion caused the building to collapse, killing the diehard insurgents.

While other casualties from the short, yet intense, fight were loaded onto vehicles and driven to a nearby aid station, Mitchell gathered the remnants of his squad and led them back to the Kilo Company headquarters where he finally received treatment for his wounds.

Less than two weeks later, Mitchell was on his way home from Iraq. Though non-debilitating, his injuries suffered during Operation Al Fajr, combined with those from a mortar attack in July, were enough to convince the Marines the time had come to order Mitchell to leave the combat zone. In a November 2004 interview with a Marine combat correspondent, Mitchell voiced his concerns about being ordered to leave Iraq, but was resigned to his fate.

“Being told by my (commanding officer), sergeant major, platoon commander and all my buddies that I have done enough – that helps to ease my thoughts,” said Mitchell. “It is supportive, but at the same time, I came out here to lead a squad and finish the job.”

Mitchell, who left the Marine Corps as a sergeant in March 2005, traveled to Camp Pendleton to receive the award with his wife, Sara, and seven-month-old son, Robert III, from their current home in Phoenix where Mitchell works as a motorcycle mechanic. Other family members and friends, including Nicoll, made the trip as well.

“Mitchell’s a Marine’s Marine, and I always looked to him as a role model” said Sanchez, who earned a Bronze Star Medal for valor during the fight for Fallujah. “I’m really happy to see him receive this award.”

The 26-year-old former Marine is unassuming, almost self-effacing, about receiving the Navy Cross. “It’s very overwhelming, but I don’t think it’s hit me yet,” Mitchell said in an interview after the ceremony, pausing every few minutes to chat with well-wishers and pose for pictures. “It’s an honor – the biggest honor I could ever fathom.”

Mitchell is the eleventh Marine to earn the Navy Cross for battlefield service in Iraq. Another Marine received the coveted award earlier this year for heroism in Afghanistan.