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Navy SEAL Petty Officer Michael A. Monsoor |
Petty Officer Second Class Michael A. Monsoor was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor on
April 8, 2008 for his heroic actions in Ar Ramadi, Iraq on September 29, 2006.
On that day, Monsoor was part of a sniper overwatch security position with three other SEALs and eight Iraqi Army (IA) soldiers. An insurgent closed in and threw a fragmentation grenade into the overwatch position.
The grenade hit Monsoor in the chest before falling to the
ground. Positioned next to the single exit, Monsoor was the
only one who could have escaped harm. Instead, he dropped
onto the grenade to shield the others from the blast.
Monsoor died approximately 30 minutes later from wounds
sustained from the blast. Because of Petty Officer Monsoor's actions, he saved the lives of his 3 teammates and the IA soldiers.
Monsoor also received the Silver Star for his actions during the same deployment in May 2006, when he exposed himself to heavy enemy fire to rescue and treat an injured teammate. |
