04/14/2021
On this day in 2004, Cpl. Jason L. Dunham covered a gr***de with his helmet and body to protect his fellow Marines while supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom with 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, making him the first Marine to receive the award since Vietnam. An excerpt of his citation is below.
“As they approached the vehicles, an insurgent leaped out and attacked Corporal Dunham. Corporal Dunham wrestled the insurgent to the ground and in the ensuing struggle saw the insurgent release a gr***de. Corporal Dunham immediately alerted his fellow Marines to the threat. Aware of the imminent danger and without hesitation, Corporal Dunham covered the gr***de with his helmet and body, bearing the brunt of the explosion and shielding his Marines from the blast. In an ultimate and selfless act of bravery in which he was mortally wounded, he saved the lives of at least two fellow Marines.”
Read Cpl. Jason Dunham’s complete citation here: https://www.hqmc.marines.mil/News/News-Article-Display/Article/551570/medal-of-honor-citation-for-cpl-jason-l-dunham/
