Previous War Heroes Threads - Brian Chontosh
Jason Dean Cunningham
Britt Slabinski
Justin D. Lehew
Mark E. Mitchell
John Chapman
The President of the United States
Takes Pleasure in Presenting
The Navy Cross
To
Joseph B. Perez
United States Marine Corps
For Services as Set Forth in the Following Citation:
For extraordinary heroism as Rifleman, Company I, 3d Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM on 4 April 2003.
While clearing near Route 6 during the advance into Baghdad, 1st Platoon came under intense enemy fire. As the point man for the lead squad and the most exposed member of the platoon, Lance Corporal Perez came under the majority of these fires.
Without hesitation, he continuously employed 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. Lance Corporal 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 3d Platoon on his platoon’s left flank, Lance Corporal 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, Lance Corporal 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.
By his outstanding display of decisive leadership, unlimited courage in the face of heavy enemy fire, and utmost devotion to duty, Lance Corporal Perez reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service.
In anticipation of expected criticism of this thread, it must be pointed out that the actions of Lance Corporal Perez saved the lives of the members of his squad, at grave risk to himself. Indeed, he sustained serious wounds in this action.
It must also be pointed out that this display of true, cool leadership was shown by a very junior enlisted man. A Lance Corporal is only an E-3, equal in rank to an Army Private First Class or Navy Seaman.
Lance Corporal Perez is a true hero by any measure. This medal is only a recognition of that fact.
