Bronze Star with V device, and hopefully more.

The link will change since it now goes to their main page for HEROES.

DoD
“If you took 100 Doug Zembiecs to war with you, you could conquer the world.” That is how Maj. Zembiec’s high-school wrestling coach characterized him – though the men who served with him captured his spirit more succinctly: He was reverently called the “Lion of Fallujah.” A magnetic commander, an “unapologetic warrior,” Zembiec believed in leading by deeds rather than words. As a result, his men would tell you that they would follow Zembiec to the gates of hell – or, at the very least, into the treacherous urban battlefield of Fallujah.

In early April of 2004, Zembiec’s company was sent in to help pacify Fallujah and restore order in a city where violence had spiraled out of control. During the month-long battle to claim Fallujah, Zembiec’s Echo Company was often the first one in and the last one out.

On April 6, Zembiec, a captain at the time, found himself deep in insurgent territory in Fallujah’s Jolan district.

A Marine patrol was taking heavy fire, and Zembiec’s unit was called in to lead a retaliatory assault. Right after arriving, Echo Company rushed toward the enemies, who launched a heavy volley of fire toward the new arrivals. Instead of directing from the back, Zembiec himself led the men toward the fire, determined to help the trapped patrol.

His men moved to a roof to counter the insurgents who had been firing down from above. The enemies wasted no time and focused their AK-47- and RPG-fire on the Marines on the roof. The Marines tried to radio an Abrams tank to fire on the enemy, but the tank didn’t respond. As they continued to call for assistance, Zembiec decided to take matters into his own hands.
Marine Corps Maj. Douglas A. Zembiec

He raced down the stairs and directly into the line of fire, heading toward the tank. He climbed up to the hatch even as mortar rounds exploded nearby and bullets ricocheted off the metal. Unscathed, he told the tank operators where to fire. The tank made quick work of the enemy, and Zembiec ran back to the roof. Witnesses say the other Marines dropped their jaws in awe of his bravery.

A few weeks later, on April 26, insurgents opened fire on Zembiec’s platoon from three sides, with thousands of rounds. Grenades flew back and forth between the enemy and his men – with only 20 feet between them. Zembiec, wounded by shrapnel, moved to a better position to direct the counterattack. He then moved from house to house, encouraging and motivating his men and repositioning the outnumbered Marines. Even as the battle raged, Zembiec coordinated the evacuation of nine injured Marines.

Later, despite being assigned to a desk job, Zembiec volunteered to return to the frontlines. He completed a tour in Afghanistan and returned to Iraq for a second time. On May 11, 2007, Zembiec was killed in Baghdad, Iraq, while leading a combat operation.

When people think of warriors and heroes, images of legendary Spartans or Trojans often come to mind. The tales of those warriors may have faded into history, but that same timeless courage and heroism lives on in a new breed of heroes – men like Doug Zembiec, the “Lion of Fallujah.”

For his month-long fight in Fallujah, Zembiec received a Bronze Star for Valor on Dec. 9, 2004. Albuquerque Journal story; Los Angeles Times story; Washington Post story.

Post:
Cpl. Chad Borgmann, 28, who went to Zembiec’s funeral from Camp Pendleton, Calif., said yesterday that boarding tanks during firefights and similar actions is typically the work of enlisted men. If a lance corporal falls, there are 40 to take his place. But there are fewer captains, Borgmann said, and fewer still who always seemed to be out in front.

“He let us know it was his privilege to lead us,” Borgmann said, walking back to a car through the graves of Arlington before heading out to meet up with his Marine buddies at the Clarendon Grill.

Zembiec, born in Hawaii, the son of an FBI agent, was a two-time all-American wrestler at the Naval Academy before graduating in 1995. His most recent U.S. posting was in Arlington.

For years, Zembiec had drawn the attention of Marines and journalists alike. He served in Kosovo and was on his fourth tour in Iraq, said Col. John Ripley, a retired Marine and close friend. His numerous military honors included a Bronze Star and two Purple Hearts.

Through it all, he remained an unabashed warrior. “A terrific day. We just whacked two [insurgents] running down an alley with AK-47s,” he told a Los Angeles Times reporter in 2004. Of the 168-member unit he commanded, about one-third suffered casualties.

“From Day One, I’ve told [my troops] that killing is not wrong if it’s for a purpose, if it’s to keep your nation free or protect your buddy,” he told the Times. “One of the most noble things you can do is kill the enemy.”

Times:
Zembiec, an All-American wrestler and 1995 graduate of the Naval Academy, is the charismatic commander of Echo Company of the 2nd Battalion, 1st Regiment, 1st Marine Division. During the monthlong battle in Iraq earlier this year for the Sunni Triangle city of Fallouja, no combat unit did more fighting and bleeding than Echo Company, and during it all–from the opening assault to the final retreat ordered by the White House–Zembiec led from the front. He took on the most dangerous missions himself, was wounded by shrapnel, repeatedly dared the enemy to attack his Marines, then wrote heartfelt letters to the families of those who were killed in combat, and won the respect of his troops and his bosses.

It was the time of his life, he acknowledged later, for by his own definition Zembiec is a warrior, and a joyful one. He is neither bellicose nor apologetic: War means killing, and killing means winning. War and killing are not only necessary on occasion, they’re also noble. “From day one, I’ve told [my troops] that killing is not wrong if it’s for a purpose, if it’s to keep your nation free or to protect your buddy,” he said. “One of the most noble things you can do is kill the enemy.”

For his Marines, Zembiec asks for respect, not sympathy, even as one-third of his 150-man company became casualties. “Marines are violent by nature–that’s what makes us different,” he said. “These young Marines didn’t enlist to get money to go to college. They joined the Marines to be part of a legacy.”