The Truth:
The story is true and, despite the comment
about not being reported by the media, was given coverage by several
news outlets across the U.S. including Fox news. Some of details
in the email are inaccurate.
Petty Officer Second Class Mike
Monsoor was a US Navy SEAL assigned to Task Unit Bravo in Ar Ramadi in Iraq.
He was killed in the line of duty while serving in Iraq on September 29, 2006.
He died after throwing himself on a grenade to prevent it from killing
others whom he had been assigned to protect on a rooftop.
A fellow Navy Seal who
knew and trained with Monsoor told TruthorFiction.com that he had
already earned a Silver Star for Bravery and a Bronze Star for separate
acts of valor.
His funeral took place in
October 12, 2006 at Fort Rosecrans
National Cemetery in San Diego.
Other Navy SEALs lined the procession and slapped the trident devices from their
uniforms to affix them onto the casket. The trident is a U.S. Navy special warfare
badge worn by SEALs. It represents the three aspects of SEAL special
operations, sea, air, and land.
On April 8, 2008,
Monsoor was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor posthumously
officiated by President George W. Bush in a ceremony at the White House
. The text of his citation reads:
For service as set
forth in the following
CITATION:
FOR CONSPICUOUS
GALLANTRY AND INTREPIDITY AT THE RISK OF HIS LIFE ABOVE AND BEYOND THE
CALL OF DUTY AS AUTOMATIC WEAPONS GUNNER FOR NAVAL SPECIAL WARFARE TASK
GROUP ARABIAN PENINSULA, IN SUPPORT OF OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM ON 29
SEPTEMBER 2006. AS A MEMBER OF A COMBINED SEAL AND IRAQI ARMY SNIPER
OVERWATCH ELEMENT, TASKED WITH PROVIDING EARLY WARNING AND STAND-OFF
PROTECTION FROM A ROOFTOP IN AN INSURGENT HELD SECTOR OF AR RAMADI,
IRAQ, PETTY OFFICER MONSOOR DISTINGUISHED HIMSELF BY HIS EXCEPTIONAL
BRAVERY IN THE FACE OF GRAVE DANGER. IN THE EARLY MORNING, INSURGENTS
PREPARED TO EXECUTE A COORDINATED ATTACK BY RECONNOITERING THE AREA
AROUND THE ELEMENT’S POSITION. ELEMENT SNIPERS THWARTED THE ENEMY’S
INITIAL ATTEMPT BY ELIMINATING TWO INSURGENTS. THE ENEMY CONTINUED TO
ASSAULT THE ELEMENT, ENGAGING THEM WITH A ROCKET-PROPELLED GRENADE AND
SMALL ARMS FIRE. AS ENEMY ACTIVITY INCREASED, PETTY OFFICER MONSOOR TOOK
POSITION WITH HIS MACHINE GUN BETWEEN TWO TEAMMATES ON AN OUTCROPPING OF
THE ROOF. WHILE THE SEALS VIGILANTLY WATCHED FOR ENEMY ACTIVITY, AN
INSURGENT THREW A HAND GRENADE FROM AN UNSEEN LOCATION, WHICH BOUNCED
OFF PETTY OFFICER MONSOOR’S CHEST AND LANDED IN FRONT OF HIM. ALTHOUGH
ONLY HE COULD HAVE ESCAPED THE BLAST, PETTY OFFICER MONSOOR CHOSE
INSTEAD TO PROTECT HIS TEAMMATES. INSTANTLY AND WITHOUT REGARD FOR HIS
OWN SAFETY, HE THREW HIMSELF ONTO THE GRENADE TO ABSORB THE FORCE OF THE
EXPLOSION WITH HIS BODY, SAVING THE LIVES OF HIS TWO TEAMMATES. BY HIS
UNDAUNTED COURAGE, FIGHTING SPIRIT, AND UNWAVERING DEVOTION TO DUTY IN
THE FACE OF CERTAIN DEATH, PETTY OFFICER MONSOOR GALLANTLY GAVE HIS LIFE
FOR HIS COUNTRY, THEREBY REFLECTING GREAT CREDIT UPON HIMSELF AND
UPHOLDING THE HIGHEST TRADITIONS OF THE UNITED STATES NAVAL SERVICE.
SIGNED GEORGE W. BUSH
Updated 5/01/09
