Okay, so that’s News, Mr. Two Wolves? Nope, but it leads into this story. You see, I was in San Diego these past few days and had reason to look at the local newspaper. In it was an Associated Press story about Marine Sergeant Rafael Peralta, another young man who believed the government’s lies.
You see, Sgt. Peralta was in Fallujah, Iraq on 15 November 2004, leading his squad of Marines on a house-to-house search. In the course of this patrol, Sgt. Peralta was shot, allegedly by his own Marines, “several times in the face and body.” Now, keep in mind that those who shot him were allegedly his own men – that becomes important.
Back to the story, according to the AP. As Sgt. Peralta lay wounded in the dirt, a grenade thudded into the dirt near him. A live grenade. Wounded as severely as he was, Sgt. Peralta nevertheless found the strength to pull that grenade to himself and roll his body onto it, absorbing the blast. He died instantly, but his comrades were spared.
The stuff of legend? Ya’d think so, wouldn’t ya? You’d be wrong.
Back in Vietnam, the news reported frequently on young men who did the same – who deliberately ate a hand grenade to save their buddies. These young men, each one of whom was loved and grieved for, received a hero’s accolades … and the Medal of Honor.
Oh, an aside here. There is no such thing as the “Congressional Medal of Honor.” Its name is simply the Medal of Honor. The only thing Congress has to do with it is to approve its being awarded. I just wanted you to understand that, to avoid any confusion.
Back to Sgt. Peralta. As I said, in Nam and doubtless all wars prior, swallowing a hand grenade like he did was absolutely Service Above and Beyond the Call of Duty; in short, was true heroism. In fact, it almost became de rigueur for the Medal to be awarded in these instances.
Almost. But not for Sgt. Peralta. Seems his having been shot by his own men first makes him unworthy of our nation’s highest award. It doesn’t matter why he was shot by them, just that he was. At least, that’s the hard-line stance Secretary of Defense Robert Gates has taken.
Gates, in all his wisdom, and after due collaboration with “forensic pathologists,” various generals, and even a prior MOH (short for Medal of Honor) winner, avers that Sgt. Peralta simply was too mortally wounded to be able to “knowingly” grab that pesky ol’ grenade and pull himself atop it. Nope, that just couldn’t happen, all those “experts” say.
According to them, he died not from a hand grenade blowing up against his chest, but, according to the AP, “a gunshot wound to the head and injuries to the head from a grenade.”
Huh! This despite there being witness statements, other forensics reports, bomb fragment analysis, and an autopsy which, the AP reported, “concluded that although Peralta was shot in the head, he made a conscious, heroic decision to cover the grenade and minimize the effects he knew it would have on the rest of his Marine team.”
Now, the MOH isn’t something just anyone can bestow upon another. Nope. The recipient must be nominated by his command, and Sgt. Peralta’s nomination came from none other than Marine Lt. General Richard Natonski, after he received documentation investigating the report of Sgt. Peralta’s actions.
That nomination, again according to the AP story I read, details Sgt. Peralta’s last moments. There were “several witnesses” who told how he lay face down and pulled the grenade to him with his arm. The nomination also contains a forensic analysis of his flak jacket and uniform, which prove the grenade was underneath him at the time it exploded.
I ask you, if he was, in fact, dead or dying when the grenade exploded, how is it he could have deliberately pulled the thing to himself first? Or, were the witnesses lying or simply confused by the noise and smoke of battle? Yeah, yeah, that’s it. Every single witness is deluded or a liar.
Well, then there’s that forensic evidence. Did the investigators also lie? Or were they simply not smart enough to figure it out correctly?
Or, could it be that Sgt. Peralta – a man who, as his dying action, deliberately pulled an armed hand grenade beneath himself to save his buddies – doesn’t deserve this award because he wasn’t an American citizen? Yup, you read that right. Sgt. Peralta was an
Is that the real reason Gates and his minions seek to deny Sgt. Peralta this last honor? Because he was not only not an American, but that he was a Mexican, to boot? Why, just think of the howls he would hear from all those good American bigots who want to put a bloody fence up along the border “to keep us safe from them” if this ever came out. Why, every Tomas, Ricardo, and Jose would come running over here and enlist so they, too, could suck up all our medals and keep them from “real American HEE-roes.”
This makes me sick. And ashamed of this country that I risked my life and watched my friends die for. And sad for Sgt. Peralta’s family (his mother can’t even speak English, which is just another reason he shouldn’t get the medal). And sad for us, for what we’ve become.
Luckily, there are people like California Rep. Duncan Hunter who recently sent a letter to Preznit Bush asking that he intervene and order the MOH be posthumously awarded to Sgt. Peralta. Hunter wasn’t alone, either – the AP reports that five other representatives (of both parties) as well as Senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer have countersigned his letter. The report doesn’t say if any private citizens have also contacted Bush, but I think they should. They should.
I’m not urging any of you to any sort of action, except to follow your heart. Do what you think is right; at the very least, remember Sgt. Peralta and his sacrifice for us, for this nation he adopted and which now wants to relegate him to secondary status – to send him to the back of the freakin’ bus.
That’s my story for this time.
20 comments:
Vey simple... send him back!
I lost a brother, killed walking to work, by a mexican. All he got was deported and told to never enter the US again.
How much you want to bet me that he's over here, nice and comfy living in the house that WE bought, driving a car WE bought,living a his life?
I don't see a difference. I don't mean to offend anyone... this is my wiew.
With all due respect, Lainy, send WHO back? Sgt. Peralta? Ummmm, that's a tad difficult to do, seeing as how he's in little pieces. All kidding aside, though, he died so that his squad members could live. He joined the US military and put himself in harm's way - and willingly gave his life - for this nation. Nor was he the man who killed your brother. I think he deserves a lot more than just being brushed off because of his nationality.
I'm sorry about your brother. I truly am. But he was killed by a man, not a nationality. Would it have made any difference if his killer had been Texan or Kansan or British or oriental? How? How would that have changed anything? Your brother's death was truly tragic and my heart goes out to you, but hating his killer simply because he's Mexican seems to me to dishonor your brother's memory. Do you think it possible - just possible - that the man who killed your brother feels horrible guilt and remorse at his act? Do you think he just might feel sorrow at your loss?
You ask if I want to bet that this man is "over here, nice and comfy living in the house ..." I won't bet on that. For one thing, he was deported, so he can't legally re-enter. Oh, I know, when has legality stopped *those* people? Again, what if he had been French or Australian or Asian?
I ask you, how do you *know* he is living as you say? How do you know he is even still living? How do you know anything at all about him other than he's a man ... just a man?
Lainy, please know I'm not attacking you or belittling your sorrow and grief. As I said, my heart goes out to you. I think, though, that that very sorrow is harming you by turning to hatred. I hope the Grandfathers help you find peace and, with that peace, understanding and compassion. Please don't let it scar your Spirit with coldness.
T.W.,
Of course I know you're right in my heart, I reacted without thinking beyond my brother.
"Send all of them back"... I meant all illegal's, of every nationality. If we must show a passport, and sometimes more ID to enter another country, then other countries should have to do the same to enter the US.
I apologize for any problems I may have caused.
Lainy,
I do understand your sadness and anger over your brother's death. I'm sure I'd feel the same. And I don't disagree with you about the illegals. BUT. Sgt. Peralta was a noncommissioned officer in the United States Marine Corps. Even though I harbor a severe distrust of the U.S. government, I still want to believe that the military would not knowingly allow an illegal immigrant to enlist. The key is "knowingly." There is simply no proof that Sgt. Peralta was in this country illegally, and to tar him with the same brush is simply unfair.
Besides, the legality of his being here is, to me, simply irrelevant. He knowingly went into combat for this nation. He deliberately used his body and his life as a shield for his (American) brothers. To me, THAT's the crux. That's the only real issue. For that, he deserves the highest award. Whether he was a legal immigrant or not changes his actions - and the heroism and sacrifice he displayed - not one whit.
I hope you can see my point. As to those who are here illegaly, yes, absolutely, send them back - but send ALL of them back, regardless of their country of origin. As I've said many times before, laws must apply equally to all people and be enforced equally or not enforced at all.
That doesn't mean a person cannot earn legal entry, however. That can be done by one's actions - enlisting in the military is but one of those actions. The action, however, must be completed with honor - and giving one's life for an adopted nation is the highest form of honor, to me. So, Sgt. Peralta, by his action, earned his right to be one of us. He was an honorable man. As such, he has earned, at the very least, the medal our government seeks to deny him.
Sgt. Peralta was a hero for what he did. I never said he didn't deserve a medal. He does.
I never held a "race" to blame for my brother's death, only an illegal who didn't care what he'd done. My mother cried and he laughed at her pain in the courtroom. It goes a little deeper, but here is not the place for that.
You wrote a beatiful post. I , once again am sorry for any upset.
First of all, Lainy, I didn't know that about your brother. I'm so very sorry.
TW...was there information about why Peralta was allegedly shot by his own men?
In the "romantic" book sort of way, I could see a man being shot by his buddies to end his suffering if it was apparent he would not survive.
But, to not give him a hero's award because he was Mexican and not "American"? What's this???? He IS American...Central American to be sure, but American just the same. And, whether or not he was supposed to be here - gads. If he moved here as a teen, could that be because his parents did and he didn't want to stay apart from his family? How horrible! Why, what was he thinking? He should have had the sense to stay alone in Mexico so as not to commit such a heinous act! Pardon my sarcasm.
Although I love my country, this government we have makes me ill with all their hypocrasy
Seems to me that Peralta wanted to give back to this country, whether or not he was a resident and he gave of himself completely.
He's a hero. No doubt about it.
First, thank you, Lainy. Again, I am so sorry about your brother. The piece of shite who killed him doesn't deserve to continue sucking our air.
Please don't apologize for your words. I was never upset or offended; I was simply debating you. Perhaps that was wrong of me and, if I offended you, I am sorry.
Now, Kate, to you. First of all, from what I gathered in the AP stories, he was shot *before* the grenade. This is the excuse DOD Secretary Gates is using: that he was either already dead or too mortally wounded to know what he was doing when he swallowed the grenade. That still makes no sense to me - he STILL saved his men; whether he was dead or not, or the action was deliberate or not, are totally irrelevant.
As to why his guys shot him, I didn't see anything about that. I'm thinking it was accidental - that kind of shite happens in close combat, especially inside small rooms. Again, though, I say that why they shot him or even *if* they did simply doesn't matter. He sacrificed himself to save them. THAT's all that matters - or should be. The why of his being shot simply doesn't matter.
As to his buddies shooting him to end his suffering, that only happens in fantasy books. For one thing, that's called euthanasia and happens to be illegal in all 50 states and all territories as far as I know. In fact, it's also called murder. Yeah, it's done - but I don't think it's as prevalent as some would think. If they shot him because he was a jerk - well, that also happens. Again, though, the why of it just doesn't matter.
Uh, before anyone else chides you on this, you should know that Mexico is in North America, not Central. In fact, it's the southernmost part of the North American subcontinent. Just wanted you to know. ;-D
Yes.. There are two sides, maybe even three, to every story.. Yet, why take his death and place it towards a bad thing.. I say.. Who cares? He died.. In the eye of his Commander, He deserves the MOH... So, let him and his family take a positive notion from his death.. Do you wish you were dead?
Nice to have a new friend,T.W.
Lainy I'm so sorry to hear about your brother, my heart goes out to you.
Wow TW quite a post! I am having a very hard time digesting the fact that right here in North America there are people who are fighting to keep such a medal from such a brave soul who fought for and saved his troops. WTF???
It has always saddened me, and it always will, how prejudice and hatred are still around in this day and age. Have we not learned anything yet??
The only consolation I feel is knowing about Karma and retribution being the way of the Universe. Those who give out negative will certainly get lots of it back; and for those who have been done wrong, there will be so much goodness come there way. Sgt. Peralta will be blessed in Summerland....
Yeah, TW, I need to brush up on my geography. *abashed grin*
And, I know military euthanasia happens infrequently; I was just trying to make some sense of why his comrades might have shot him. But, the reports would seem to indicate definite confusion on the "friendly fire"
Why do our elected officials think they have to change things that are pretty much straightforward to make some sort of political statement?
Wow, looks like I've stirred up a conversation here. Good!
To Anonymous, you asked if I wish I were dead. In truth, yes, I sometimes do. The key here is "sometimes." I think that most of us sometimes harbor such a wish. We just don't act on it. Now, a question for you: what does that have to do with Sgt. Peralta? Did he wish to die? I don't know, but I rather suspect he didn't, not really. I think he pulled that grenade to himself for the highest of all motives: to save his comrades. Perhaps one could argue that, there at that moment, he did, in fact, want to die, but so what? Does it really matter if he wanted to die or not? Does that detract in any way from his act? Does it make his heroism any the less?
Now, to Lainy. Thank you, and I, too, am glad to have another friend. I look forward to further conversations with you. With luck, they won't be quite as painful to you.
Okay, Jude. Thank you for the compliment.
Believe it. We Americans are renowned for our bigotry. Our ancestors came over here from Europe and immediately hated the people they found here. They raped, killed, and tried to "assimilate" them and are still trying. They, those bloody ancestors of ours, ripped other people from their families and homelands and shipped them in chains over here so they could be bought and sold like cattle. The descendants of those people are still hated simply because they look and act differently - because they're not white.
Another group of our ancestors - much more recent this time - took by force of arms other people's homes and businesses and very lives and forced those people to live in concentration camps (only, in their "compassion," they called them "detention centers") simply because we had been attacked by the government of a nation half-a-world away. Oh, yeah, these "detainees" were, some of them, descendants of the people of that foreign land - or immigrants from that land - but they were Americans. They were American citizens. Because of their color and heritage, though, we felt justified and even blessed by God to take everything from them.
A bit earlier, it was the Irish, even though our government welcomed them with open arms if they'd fight and die in a war our government started. Oh, yeah, the U.S. government (the Union) started the Civil War. They fired upon Fort Sumter, without known provocation. Hmmmmmmm, maybe they thought the Confederacy had WMDs.
Now we want to take everything from another group of people who we've found "reason" to hate. It never ends, this hatred and bigotry and greed.
If Karma does, indeed, exist, then I'm sorely afraid we Americans are in for a WHOPPER of a payback. The Romans were every bit as bigoted, greedy, and arrogant as we - look what happened to them.
Now, Lane. Your being geographically-challenged isn't all that horrible. Lots and lots of people share your affliction. That's all I'll say about that.
As I said, I think Sgt. Peralta was probably shot by accident. I don't know if R was ever in a firefight, but I can tell you that the only rule there is mass hysteria and confusion. You're a young person, scared out of your wits, with a very powerful automatic weapon and you are being shot at by *someone* who is *somewhere* and everywhere. You just unload that big rifle of yours on anything that gets in the way. In fact, you may not even be aware of anyone else - you're possibly completely tunnel-visioned in your fear. If one of your buddies moves the wrong way, oh, well. As they said in 'Nam, xin loi. So sorry. I'm thinking that's probably what happened to Sgt. Peralta. I don't *know*, of course, because I wasn't there, but I think there's better than an even chance of it.
Why do the politicians do these things? Because they can, of course. Their only concern is to get re-elected so they can keep on getting richer and more powerful. Power, as you know, is a drug and the politicans addicts. Like any junky, they absolutely must keep on getting their fixes.
They'll pander to whatever dark god they must in order to get their fixes of the drug they crave so much.
That's why they want to deny Sgt. Peralta's medal. They are pandering to bigotry and race hatred so they can boast of their "hard line" stance on illegal immigratiion so they can get re-elected. That they stand as much chance of stopping a cold front moving down from Canada as they do human immigration is totally beside the point.
Peace.
R was never in a firefight; he was, however, hit with a white phosphorous grenade his second night in VietNam, by some returning infantry men who were going a wee bit crazy because they were back from a long, arduous patrol. He was burned on his hand and arm, and his glasses were broken. Not all that bad, except it was on his second day - his first with his assigned platoon. He did get shot at several times when the MP's would pass him when closing down Highway 1 for the night. Soon as the MP's were out of sight, the VK would begin firing on his deuce and a half. Since he was carrying helium, he wasn't real crazy about being shot at, not that he would have been anyway.
White phosphorus is nothing to sneeze at, that's for sure. I'm glad he received only minor injuries. He was very lucky.
Yeah, the VC *did* have a habit of springing wee surprises on us from time to time, bless their wee hearts. Again, I'm glad Robert wasn't hurt by any of those surprises. Of course, since he was carrying helium, all he would have had to do if he was was suck in a lungful or twa of his gas. *grin* It wouldn't necessarily have stopped the pain, but it would have cracked ol' Charlie up when he started talking REAAAAALLLLY funny.
*laughing my arse off*
You know, in all the years and all the times I've heard that story, I've never ONCE thought of anything but the explosion that would have happened had one of those helium tanks taken a direct hit.
I can hardly wait to throw that line out in an appropriate place the next time the story is told. Of course, it will be my luck to have him be telling it to YOU and then you'll have the right to use it, of course. And, I'll undoubtedly get an even bigger laugh out of it, knowing it's coming.
Disclaimer: I've not read a single comment yet - I'll read them after I post my *coughs* unadulterated comment...:-)
Brother, this may be a bit harsh - Because I disagree quite strenuously with almost all of your post. I ask you to bear with me.
First and most important - I believe Sgt. Peralta should be awarded the MoH without question and have, in fact, signed a petition to that effect. We agree utterly there.
Next - Your title is utterly off-base and incorrect. Sgt. Peralta no more died in vain than did any other Soldier who gave his very last to protect his mates. Your title implies that Sgt. Peralta was medal-hunting, and as such, degrades the man and his heroism. (And it's not like the Navy Cross that he was awarded is chopped liver either!)
Sgt. Peralta was a United States Marine, and as such would disdain any medal he was awarded anyway. What mattered to him was God, Country, and Corps, in that order. He was also a United States Citizen and as much an American as you, or I no matter his place of birth. (A post at BlackFive mentions the man in 2006 and is worth a read: http://www.blackfive.net/main/2006/05/memorial_day_se.html)
Next, you have used a Straw-Man argument, stapling words and thoughts on Sec. Def Gates and then continuing your article as though they were the truth, and then continuing merrily on. While I utterly disagree with the Secretary's decision, that decision was based upon the testimony of several forensics experts, Marine combat veterans and, as you admit, another Medal of Honor winner. To imply that all of these people were somehow so racist (or simply the Secretary's 'minions') as to deny Sgt. Peralta' the MoH is beneath you.
You also tar everyone who is in favor of a border fence unfairly. I'm hardly a bigot and I fully support a fence. I lived in Southern Arizona for over a decade and taught in Oregon schools with a heavy Hispanic population in my classrooms. I am a HUGE supporter of securing our borders. Not because I am anti-immigration but because I am in favor of LAWFUL immigration. Allowing anyone to roam across our borders is insane on many levels and strictly from a lawful immigrant's point of view, completely unfair.
Finally, your initial statements about the Army lying continually are also off-base. The Army never told me any such thing - nor did the Fire Department. My benefits are quite fully spelled out in a number of places all of which have been made available to me and are updated frequently - with my being notified. While the Army (and every other organization on Earth) has used lies and deceit frequently in the past you again extend those instances to a constant. That is unfair and inaccurate.
My brother, it's not 1968 any more. The US Army is a professional organization of hard-driven volunteer Soldiers nearly every one of whom has busted their ASS to be there - and to stay there. We don't draft people any more. We don't give people the choice of prison or the Army any more. You've got to WANT it and you've got to EARN it. The Station Commander where I signed up would finish every briefing we had, every week for a year by asking us if anyone in his Command had ever lied to us - and if they had, they got their chops busted over it and the situation made right (I don't recall anyone ever being lied to in that year). He also asked to make sure that everyone was still 100% motivated about joining the Army.
What you are basing your opinions on happened 40 years ago. Almost half a CENTURY. It's quite different now.
Now...on a lighter note...GET TO WORK ON THAT DAMN STORY BEFORE I COME OVER THERE AND DOCK YOUR FREAKIN' TAIL!! You two $##%@!*s have me hooked on the thing and I want to read more before I deploy!!!
Orion
Hrms...on your response to Lainy - I can understand his frustration. We've had a few people killed up here in Oregon by illegals who are caught after committing crimes (including murder, assault, rape, and home invasion), deported, and they come right back again. The families are understandably upset that these criminals keep coming back, and keep committing crimes.
And sorry, but the illegal aliens are just that - criminals. By definition. Please be sure to differentiate between LEGAL aliens and ILLEGALs. One are valued residents, friends, neighbors and huge supporters of the community. The others are criminals. (I see you did that in a later comment)
And as I said above, Sgt. Peralta was an American Citizen. (Nationalized). He enlisted almost immediately after getting his Green Card (same day, in fact) - he was in no way an illegal. The Army goes to GREAT lengths to make sure we don't get criminals in the Army.
As to Sgt. Peralta being shot by his own men, That seems silly - but the forensics would be able to identify the caliber and angle of entry of his bullet wounds, I would think. And as you say, either way, it changes his heroism not one whit. Hell, if they HAD it makes it MORE heroic because he was STILL protecting the men who had accidentally harmed HIM.
You claim that Americans are renowned for our bigotry - Too true. But only that we are renowned for it, not that we ARE bigoted. In fact, we are some of the least bigoted people on Earth. And as evidence, I offer you Bosnia. Georgia. Chechnya. Iraq. The entire Middle East. The Sudan. Somalia. Rwanda. Northern Ireland. France. Germany...
Sorry, brother, you're falling for 'everybody knows' rather than the facts. America is one of the most ethnically and gender diverse societies on Earth and in history. FAR more than anyplace else. Do we have bigots? Yes. Did we have rampant bigotry? Yes - Was it more than anyplace else? Not even close. That's why so many people came HERE.
Gypsies? Like the teenage gypsy girl who lay dead on a beach in the midst of the bathers and no one did anything for hours because she was 'just a gypsy'? Want to see how VERY tolerant the Europeans are? Read The Painted Bird. Look at the daily riots in France. Ask how many North Africans hold high office in Europe. How many folks of Asian ancestry? How many major European corporations are run by Roma?
Ask the Canadians how they feel about the Newfies, or the Quebecois. Or the Inuit. Will they all give a perfect answer of peace and harmony? Nope. Though I'll give the Canadians credit - they're probably the least bigoted people there are. Unless you don't like Hockey, anyway (or supported the Meech Lake Accords...LOL)
We're not perfect. We're just a HELL of a lot better than most any place else when it comes to bigotry.
There's a REASON that vast swaths of humanity dream of coming HERE and not Cuba, or Bolivia, or Russia, or South Africa.
Orion
Interesante!
All past posts are so interesting!
I was amazed at the comment of Mexicans being a "Race". They are not, but in fact a mixture of "caucasian"(European) white, according to the US census, and indigenous (?)native Central American,(Spanish) which explains the darker carmel skin for some.
In 1966, a MOH was indeed awarded to a young Man, American citizen (Native Hispanic) from Belen, New Mexico. SP/4 Daniel Fernandez, awarded the MOH (Post) for the EXACT same thing.He is listed as "Mexican American", but was in fact a descendant of Spanish that had been here for 200 years.
As for the honorable young man, U.S. citizen Marine Sgt. Peralta, he deserves no less than Danny Fernandez recieved, the MOH PERIOD.Fourty three, yes 43, Medals of Honor have been awarded to "Latinos". The first was to a man named DeCastro, around the time of the American revolution.
Latinos/Hispanic:
A native Hispanic, someone of Latin extraction (Spanish descendant, me) of the original "conquistador" Spaniards that arrived here almost 100 years before the "Mayflower" arrived.
We are NOT Mexican American, but Americans of Spanish Descent reaching back 400 years.Our NM homeland was New Spain for 225 years and Mexico for 25 years until 1886 when it became a territory of the US. we freely mixed with the local "Pueblo" Native Americans, giving us a "Mestizo" (mixed) quality.
I mention all this to make you aware that we Latinos have been good patriotic Americans, as was the Marine Sgt. Peralta. Thepresent racist craze and prejudice directed to all people "Latino"/ brown skin and "send 'em all back crap" is racist,possibly uneducated? I ask you to think carefully before you speak, as you can't go shooting all the dogs (lainy) because 1 had fleas.Wefore you were.We can't all be sent back as many, many(1/2 million) of us were here before your ancestors arrived, maybe as "illegal" as well. Remember Italians called WOP's? Without papers? They are now part of todays American "White" society. They wre the first to assimilate quickly, give up their language, cultural nuances as well.You will find many well heeled "Italians", now Americans in many of todays Protestant churches.At the turn of the next century, today's voting Latinos will finally be equal in social status as well.
Ronaldo Olivas y Santistevan, BS, MTS
First Sergeant, US` Army (ret, 28 yrs)Proud Bi Lingual American
Native "Hispanic".
Post a Comment