Peralta family accepts Navy Cross
In 2004, Sergeant Rafael Peralta shielded his mates from a grenade blast with his own body. The Navy tried to award posthumously his family a Navy Cross for his actions that day, but his mother refused the honor because she thought that her son deserved the Medal of Honor, the only award higher than the Navy Cross in the Navy. We’ve discussed the controversy here several times as recently as February, we were quoted in the Washington Post.
Although witnesses swear that Peralta made a conscious decision to save his fellow Marines with his own shattered body, forensic professionals claim that it wasn’t possible. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates says that he was ready to award the medal to Peralta, but the science stood in the way. You know, the same old pogues vs. witnesses argument.
Well today, Peralta’s mother finally accepted the Navy Cross for her son at Camp Pendleton. According to the Associated Press, the citation reads;
While attempting to maneuver out of the line of fire, Sgt. Peralta was shot and fell mortally wounded. After the initial exchange of gunfire, the insurgents broke contact, throwing a fragmentation grenade as they fled the building. The grenade came to rest near Sgt. Peralta’s head. Without hesitation and with complete disregard for his own personal safety, Sgt. Peralta reached out and pulled the grenade to his body, absorbing the brunt of the blast and shielding fellow Marines only feet away.
The award is for the same thing that the forensic boobs said the Marine sergeant couldn’t have done. And there’s always the USS Rafael Peralta coming down the chute.
Category: Marine Corps, Politics
God Bless the family and the soul of the good SGT.
The Navy Cross IS a very special award.
Those who receive are often originally put in for MoH. And line between the two awards are blurred as evidenced by the SGT’s award package.
I personally know of two such awards that by ALL accounts should have been MoH.
However, in this case, the SGT’s family should be very proud as the Navy Cross IS a very special award and the recipients of such are of the best of the best.
God rest Sergeant Rafael Peralta and God please bless his family. I hope they find the peace they deserve and the honor which goes with Sgt. Peralta’s Navy Cross.
As to Gates, the forensic “professionals” and their “science” which stood in the way of the MoH, I quote from the citation for the Navy Cross:
“The grenade came to rest near Sgt. Peralta’s head. Without hesitation and with complete disregard for his own personal safety, Sgt. Peralta reached out and pulled the grenade to his body, absorbing the brunt of the blast and shielding fellow Marines only feet away.”
This citation…describing Sgt. Peralta’s deliberate act, done without hesitation or regard for his own life, just called Gates, his forensic “professionals” and their “science” all…LIARS!
Ah, many such citations read like this.
Now is the move to upgrade the award.
There is little doubt DOD screwed the pooch on this one.
Beat me to it, Sparks. Seems his Navy Cross citation actually enforces the idea that SGT Peralta deserved the Medal of Honor.
Two Marines there at the time (one of whom was wounded by a grenade fragment) stated that their group openly decided to enhance their reports regarding what Peralta did. I find it hard to believe that such a conspiracy of lies between the two would exist, knowing as they must have known, how their changed reports would be received. By the same token, I find it unfathomable that the Navy Cross citation reads as it does, clearly stating exactly the action that merited others the nation’s highest military valor award.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/comrades-say-marine-heroism-tale-of-iraq-veteran-was-untrue/2014/02/21/455bf006-9b1f-11e3-ad71-e03637a299c0_story.html
He shielded his brothers and gave his life for theirs.
Fuck the CSI pukes.
Well, I have seen Soldiers changing their AAR and writing in sworn statements things that are not true to help a SFC get a PH, when the wound was clearly from friendly fire.
Thankfully the officers appointed to investigate the claim digged the truth out.
Pretty much the only thing officers are good for, finding out when dudes are telling lies and the NCOs are quite because it is the Platoon Sergeant the one they are embellishing the report for.
One version that was put out is that he was killed by friendly fire and his comrades were so upset that they thought the way to make it up to him was by saying he pulled a grenade under him.
Just a sad fucking situation.
I don’t understand how anyone could have a problem with a Navy Cross. And the whole concept of “his mother thought he should get the Medal of Honor” is embarrassing. Someone should have sat Mom down and explained to her how big a set of balls you have to have to get a Navy Cross.
We are all human, and I perfectly understand the mother’s feelings (as well as countless others) who feel Sgt. Peralta deserved the higher honor of the MOH.
I agree that the Navy Cross is an exceptional honor, but when a person’s actions seem to indicate a level of bravery that goes beyond the Navy Cross (at the cost of life), why wouldn’t some feel a higher honor is more appropriate?
While I have empathy for the parents and others left behind by this Marine’s death, nothing is going to bring the man back. Does not make any difference what medal he receives, he is still gone. He served admirably, he apparently saved honorably but will be forgotten just as all of us in time. Seems like his mother thinks a MOH will make some difference. His ticket has been punched, his life is over, God rest his soul and give comfort to his mother.
Word…..
Agreed. The fact that he saved a number of his brothers-in-arms after being mortally wounded matters far more than the shade of blue on the ribbon recognizing his sacrifice.
Rest in peace, Sergeant Peralta.
The naming of a ship, while not on the list of military awards, must be among the greatest honors one could receive. Or at least it once was.
Meanwhile, grieving family members really shouldn’t be judged too harshly for things they may or may not say especially while in the most raw phases of their grief. Not sure I’d trust anything the media “quotes” the family as having said anyway. It’s not as if accuracy seems to be a priority for entirely too many of them.
OK, so the testimony of eyewitnesses was dismissed, and experts who were not there ruled his described actions as impossible. Two folks received MOHs recently for actions 100 years ago for which there are no living witnesses… it seems having a living witness is not in the awardee’s best interest? Am I understanding that correctly?
gates is an ass. RIP Sgt Peralta, and God Bless your family!
If a Navy Cross is good enough for the immortal Chesty Puller then it is good enough for this sailor. It’s quite an honor. I don’t know what the mother was thinking.
He earned a Navy Cross and is having a ship named after him for god’s sakes.