War Heroes VIII - Marco A. Martinez

Previous War Heroes Threads - Brian Chontosh
Jason Dean Cunningham
Britt Slabinski
Justin D. Lehew
Mark E. Mitchell
John Chapman
Joseph B. Perez

The President of the United States
Takes Pleasure in Presenting
The Navy Cross
To

Marco A. Martinez
United States Marine Corps

For Services as Set Forth in the Following Citation:

For extraordinary heroism while serving as 1st Fire Team Leader, 2nd Squad, 1st Platoon, Company G, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM on 12 April 2003.

Responding to a call to reinforce his Platoon that was ambushed, Corporal Martinez effectively deployed his team under fire in supporting positions for a squad assault. After his squad leader was wounded, he took control and led the assault through a tree line where the ambush originated.

As his squad advanced to secure successive enemy positions, it received sustained small arms fire from a nearby building. Enduring intense enemy fire and without regard for his own personal safety, Corporal Martinez launched a captured enemy rocket propelled grenade into the building temporarily silencing the enemy and allowing a wounded Marine to be evacuated and receive medical treatment.

After receiving additional fire, he single-handedly assaulted the building and killed four enemy soldiers with a grenade and his rifle.

By his outstanding display of decisive leadership, unlimited courage in the face of heavy enemy fire, and utmost devotion to duty, Corporal Martinez reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service.


Corporal Martinez had to assume leadership of his squad after his squad leader was wounded. He did so admirably, and led his men with a superb example of personal heroism.

Later promoted to Sergeant, Marco Martinez has since left the Marine Corps. He is going to Florida to work and attend college. The Navy Cross was awarded to him last month.

This is a nice start to the rest of his life. Marco Martinez is only 22 years old.

:confused: If you’d said “He’s achieved a lot for someone so young” or “It’s good that he’s got recognition for his valour as he makes his way in another field” I could understand.

But a nice start to the rest of his life? A nice start to the rest of his life!? The mind boggles.

I meant to say that college and work is the nice start.

I certainly wouldn’t want to walk through the hell required to win one of these medals.

I think we all should pay due respect to Sgt. Martinez’s courage, though. He’s a remarkable young man, from the looks of it.

So it is written, so let it be done.

Out of curiousity, is there some kind of bonus or pension attached to decorations of this order? Is there some kind of automatic promotion involved?

But incredible kudoes to Sergeant Martinez for his courage and dedicated service.

Regards,
Shodan

Actually, medals of this nature do affect promotion.

When I was in the Navy, every time I was up for promotion, several things were taken into account. First of all was my score on a rating exam. Next was the amount of time I had in rank. My evaluations were also quantified and used for consideration. And extra points were awarded for medals, up to a total of ten.

At the time of my release from active duty, I had a total of nine award points. These came from awards of the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (2 points each, 3 awards), the Navy Good Conduct Medal (2 points also) and a Flag Letter of Commendation (1 point)

A Navy Cross is worth 5 points. A Medal of Honor is worth 10. There is also the possibility that the command would promote an awardee of the Navy Cross outside of the normal test cycle. Commanding officers in the Navy have this authority, which they can use several times per year.

There is no special pension or monetery benefit due an awardee of the Navy Cross. However, there are special benefits for Medal of Honor winners.

They receive a $1000 per month pension, and they and their dependents are entitled to enroll in the military’s TRICARE system for medical and dental care. Their children are also entitled to appointments at the military service academies if they meet the other admission criteria.

This is small comfort if you’re dead, however. And many Medals of Honor are awarded posthumously.

AFAIK, all that’s attached are the recognition for doing your duty and doing it well. There isn’t even a “bonus” for being awarded the Medal of Honor…although usually actions that warrant such awards usually warrant a promotion as well. The only “extra” pensions are for retiring after a certain number of years or aquiring a service-related medical disability.

Heh. I stand corrected. Thanks, Mr Moto. For these threads, too.

The MoH pension was instituted only last year, and the extension of TRICARE benefits only in 2001.

It’s not surprising more folks don’t know about them. I had to do a search to find out how much the pension was, myself.

Honoring the dead is all fine and dandy, but do you really have to start so many threads? Couldn’t you make maybe a single “war hero” thread? Or one each for Army, Navy and Air Force?

After all, over a thousand coalition soldiers have died in Iraq already, and they keep dying, at the rate of a few every day.

Not counting auxiliaries such as the Iraqi security forces, who can be equally heroic, despite coming from another country and having a different skin color.

And not counting those who come back blind, in wheelchairs or with brain damage - they might be heroes too, but they were lucky enough to survive. Is survival less heroic? Their relatives might not think so.

And I don’t need to remind you that it’s one thing for a soldier to gather laurels, and quite another to scatter cypress.

It’s not that many. It’s limited to nine.

That’s how many Air Force Crosses, Navy Crosses, and Distinguished Service Crosses have been awarded in Afghanistan and Iraq.

That isn’t to say there aren’t more heroes. There are many more. But these awards are given out for very special deeds. I thought one thread each wouldn’t be too obnoxious.

And, as I said in the first thread, I think it’s important to note that all American soldiers aren’t villains like those at Abu Ghraib. Every day, servicemembers in Iraq and Afghanistan are going about their duties with honor and distinction. But their stories aren’t making the news.

I would certainly read stories about heroic Iraqis, especially those resisting terrorism there. Do you have such stories? More threads are better than fewer, in my book.