Marine Sgt. Sean-Paul Donovan saving the world

The Marine Corps Times tells the story of former Marine Sgt. Sean-Paul Donovan who was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal for rescuing one of his Marines from his attempt at suicide;

The young Marine told Donovan — his acting platoon sergeant at the time with 2nd Radio Battalion — that he had “reached a point in his life that he felt he needed to take his own life,” Donovan said, recounting the phone conversation. “It took me by surprise.”

Donovan tried to calm the Marine down, and convinced him to return to his house, where Donovan headed out to meet him.

As Donovan left for the house he phoned his chain of command and the Jacksonville, North Carolina, police department.

The junior Marine was holding two pistols in his hands when Donovan entered the house.

And once inside the house with the armed Marine, Donovan kept his phone on and the line open with the police, so they could hear everything that was going on.

Eventually, Donovan and another Marine wrestled the pistols from the distraught Marine. The pistols misfired when the Marine tried to shoot Donovan;

After leaving the Corps in 2017 after five years, including two six-month combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, Donovan received a call from his chain of command informing him that the unit was considering him for the Navy and Marine Corps Medal.

“It blew my mind I was even being put in for such an award,” he told Marine Corps Times. “At the end of the day, what transpired that day, is what I would expect anyone to do.”

Thanks to AW1Ed for the link.

Category: Marine Corps