# Containing a grenade blast with a helmet? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 1, 2007, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/containing-a-grenade-blast-with-a-helmet/402329 "2007-05-01T17:04:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2007, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/containing-a-grenade-blast-with-a-helmet/402329/21 "2007-05-02T18:05:12Z")
At the grenade range, in Ft. Bragg, back in 1965, a lieutenant ran a little experiment. He was an agile man, and had quite a bit of experience. He stood in front of a sandbag berm, with a hand grenade (pin out) while a subordinate (volunteer) placed a helmet, and then a sandbag over the grenade. The subordinate left first, and then the lieutenant let go of the grenade, and jumped over the berm, into the shelter. He showed my basic training company the piece of the helmet they found. It was twisted, and ripped, and about an inch in it’s longest dimension. According to him, they could not find any of the sandbag. However, a human body can, and in many cases has absorbed most of the shrapnel from a grenade and saved the lives of those nearby. I don’t know of even military legends of anyone who survived grenade surfing. Grenades in the Korean war, and after had chemical fuses, and HE explosive loads. Everyone used either US, or Czech grenades, or Russian grenades, which were very similar in basic materials. (Actually, now that I think of it, I believe the Brits and Aussies used some weird shaped grenade. Not sure what it was made of.) Tris ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2007, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/containing-a-grenade-blast-with-a-helmet/402329/22 "2007-05-03T02:50:41Z")
[QUOTE=Triskadecamus] I don’t know of even military legends of anyone who survived grenade surfing. [/QUOTE] I’m not sure what you mean by “grenade surfung”, but there is at least one well documented case of a US soldier falling on a grenade in WWII and surviving (as it turned out, he was underage for service but had “snuck” in. It meant that he was the youngest perston to win the Congressional Medal of Honor). [Link](http://www.newsargus.com/news/archives/2006/10/24/youngest_marine_medal_of_honor_winner_visits_sjafb/). ['Nother link (Wiki)](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacklyn_H._Lucas) ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2007, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/containing-a-grenade-blast-with-a-helmet/402329/23 "2007-05-03T03:00:47Z")
[QUOTE=Jurph] Corporal [Jason Dunham](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jason_Dunham) of the 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines was recently awarded the Medal of Honor for exactly this action. [/QUOTE] Corporal Dunham was featured in a very moving [book](http://www.amazon.com/Gift-Valor-War-Story/dp/0767920384/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-2697175-0656167?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1178161141&sr=8-1). ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2007, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/containing-a-grenade-blast-with-a-helmet/402329/24 "2007-05-03T11:38:06Z")
On that FutureWeapons show on the Discovery channel, they covered a grenade with a manequin wearing Dragon Skin body armor. The blast ripped the outer cover to shit but didn’t penetrate the armor, however I imagine the concussion would have killed the human wearing it. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2007, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/containing-a-grenade-blast-with-a-helmet/402329/25 "2007-05-03T14:11:20Z")
> [@](#): > > MANN, JOE E. > > Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Army, Company H, 502d Parachute Infantry, 101st Airborne Division. Place and date: Best, Holland, 18 September 1944. Entered service at: Seattle, Wash. Birth: Rearden, Wash. G.O. No.: 73, 30 August 1945. Citation: He distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry above and beyond the call of duty. On 18 September 1944, in the vicinity of Best., Holland, his platoon, attempting to seize the bridge across the Wilhelmina Canal, was surrounded and isolated by an enemy force greatly superior in personnel and firepower. Acting as lead scout, Pfc. Mann boldly crept to within rocket-launcher range of an enemy artillery position and, in the face of heavy enemy fire, destroyed an 88mm. gun and an ammunition dump. Completely disregarding the great danger involved, he remained in his exposed position, and, with his M-1 rifle, killed the enemy one by one until he was wounded 4 times. Taken to a covered position, he insisted on returning to a forward position to stand guard during the night. On the following morning the enemy launched a concerted attack and advanced to within a few yards of the position, throwing hand grenades as they approached. One of these landed within a few feet of Pfc. Mann. **Unable to raise his arms, which were bandaged to his body, he yelled “grenade” and threw his body over the grenade, and as it exploded, died.** His outstanding gallantry above and beyond the call of duty and his magnificent conduct were an everlasting inspiration to his comrades for whom he gave his life. During Operation Market Garden. IIRC in \*A Bridge Too Far \* (the book) Ryan writes that Mann was first injured in one arm and went back to the fight with it bandaged down to his body. After he fought one handed for a while he was injured in the other arm. When both arms were immobilized he jumped on a grenade to save his buddies. ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2007, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/containing-a-grenade-blast-with-a-helmet/402329/26 "2007-05-03T18:37:24Z")
[QUOTE=msmith537] On that FutureWeapons show on the Discovery channel, they covered a grenade with a manequin wearing Dragon Skin body armor. The blast ripped the outer cover to shit but didn’t penetrate the armor, however I imagine the concussion would have killed the human wearing it. [/QUOTE] Yea, that’s a pretty lame marketing gimmick. It’s like those “mine-proof” boots! Sure, the boots will survive the blast, but _you_ probably wont! ---
**Author:** ![DustyButt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc348/32.png) [@DustyButt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DustyButt)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2007, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/containing-a-grenade-blast-with-a-helmet/402329/27 "2007-05-03T18:57:31Z")
I’m 99% sure that there was one U.S. soldier who used his helmet and body to shield his fellow soldiers from a grenade. I remember specifically that he was a latino soldier who was awarded the medal of honor. He stood out because he was one of the few that recieved the honor and lived beyond the date at which it was awarded. I’ll look up what I remember and will update the thread… BRB. ---
**Author:** ![DustyButt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc348/32.png) [@DustyButt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DustyButt)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2007, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/containing-a-grenade-blast-with-a-helmet/402329/28 "2007-05-03T19:07:39Z")
And, I present to you… [Specialist John Baca](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Baca) Stories about a life like this restore my faith in people. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/containing-a-grenade-blast-with-a-helmet/402329.md?page=1)