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Iraq
SEAL Falls on Grenade to Save Comrades
2006-10-14
Words fail. This man is a genuine hero. God bless him and his family.
CORONADO, Calif. (AP) - A Navy SEAL sacrificed his life to save his comrades by throwing himself on top of a grenade Iraqi insurgents tossed into their sniper hideout, fellow members of the elite force said.

Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael A. Monsoor had been near the only door to the rooftop structure Sept. 29 when the grenade hit him in the chest and bounced to the floor, said four SEALs who spoke to The Associated Press this week on condition of anonymity because their work requires their identities to remain secret. ``He never took his eye off the grenade, his only movement was down toward it,'' said a 28-year-old lieutenant who sustained shrapnel wounds to both legs that day. ``He undoubtedly saved mine and the other SEALs' lives, and we owe him.''

Monsoor, a 25-year-old gunner, was killed in the explosion in Ramadi, west of Baghdad. He was only the second SEAL to die in Iraq since the war began.

Two SEALs next to Monsoor were injured; another who was 10 to 15 feet from the blast was unhurt. The four had been working with Iraqi soldiers providing sniper security while U.S. and Iraqi forces conducted missions in the area.

In an interview at the SEALs' West Coast headquarters in Coronado, four members of the special force remembered ``Mikey'' as a loyal friend and a quiet, dedicated professional. ``He was just a fun-loving guy,'' said a 26-year-old petty officer 2nd class who went through the grueling 29-week SEAL training with Monsoor. ``Always got something funny to say, always got a little mischievous look on his face.''

Other SEALS described the Garden Grove, Calif., native as a modest and humble man who drew strength from his family and his faith. His father and brother are former Marines, said a 31-year-old petty officer 2nd class.

Prior to his death, Monsoor had already demonstrated courage under fire. He has been posthumously awarded the Silver Star for his actions May 9 in Ramadi, when he and another SEAL pulled a team member shot in the leg to safety while bullets pinged off the ground around them.

Monsoor's funeral was held Thursday at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in San Diego. He has also been submitted for an award for his actions the day he died.
Posted by:Steve White

#21  Anonymoose, you speak with authority. Our troops are the best trained, but there is always room for improvement.

Regardless, Michael Monsoor is a hero in every sense of the word. The man exemplified courage.
Posted by: Graimble Thaviger8495   2006-10-14 22:06  

#20  that's heartbreaking. Rest in Peace.
Posted by: anon   2006-10-14 15:34  

#19  J.D. Lux -- you are so right "A hero's steely glare."

Posted by: Sherry   2006-10-14 15:32  

#18  A hero's steely glare.
Posted by: J.D. Lux   2006-10-14 15:26  

#17  A photo of Michael sent home to his family just days before. I don't know how to insert the photo so maybe one of you guys can.

Icerigger--> #3
Posted by: RD   2006-10-14 15:11  

#16  Froggy, a SEAL, attended the furneral. A must read at Blackfive:

In the Presence of Greatness

http://www.blackfive.net/main/2006/10/in_the_presence.html
Posted by: Sherry   2006-10-14 14:36  

#15  Your right moose, but the desire to protect a brother usually outweighs any training. At that split second he was not thinking of himself but only of his friends. You can't train that out of a hero.
Posted by: 49 Pan   2006-10-14 11:51  

#14  I once received pointed instruction from a Special Forces MSG that you should never, ever jump on a live hand grenade, because it is almost invariably futile. He said "baseball rules" apply.

Even if allowed to cook off before throwing, you usually still have a precious 1 or 2 seconds where it is best to pick it up and "grounder" toss it away. This applies if it is right next to you.

If everyone else is standing, they should turn and do a two-step "slide into home plate" away from the grenade. This is because when a grenade detonates on the ground, it has a very distinct 45 degree blast cone upwards. Even if you are just outside of that cone, the severity of your injuries drops considerably.

I say this not to disparage the Petty Officer, but out of a sense of great irony, because his SEAL training taught him exactly the opposite.

That is, explosions under water behave entirely differently from explosions on land. Because water does not compress, the force of an explosion carries a much greater distance. For this reason, part of SEAL demolitions training gives them an abject lesson.

They are told to set up a charge in some sunken ship, then when they set it to explode, to "go around the corner" to get away from the blast. But this does not work under water and they end up getting severely concussed by the blast shockwave in the water, to teach them a lesson.

So the end result was that he probably relied on what he had seen in a movie, because he had never been trained otherwise. I say this because it is an all too common error by those who haven't been taught the behavior of hand grenades.

There is even an instructional thought problem, entitled "Six Marines and a grenade", which is used to describe different "stupid" things that soldiers of all varieties do with fair frequency, that result in them and their friends getting injured and killed.

The first lesson is not to play with a live hand grenade. The second is not to jump on a hand grenade that has fallen on the ground. The third is not to take it apart to find out why it has not exploded. The fourth is to not give away a "dud" to someone ignorant of its status, as a collectible. The fifth is to not play with a dud because you assume it is harmless. And finally, the sixth rule is to "not be unlucky."

Granted, in this case, the Petty Officer may have done the only thing he could have done in the circumstances. It will be best to assume so, as we will never know otherwise.
Posted by: Anonymoose   2006-10-14 11:35  

#13  

A photo of Michael sent home to his family just days before. I don't know how to insert the photo so maybe one of you guys can.

Thanks.
Posted by: Icerigger   2006-10-14 11:12  

#12  God will take this man with open arms. Where do they find men like this?

Medal of Honor time boys, Medal of Honor.
Posted by: Icerigger   2006-10-14 11:08  

#11  Meanwhile, the media remains in pitched overdrive here on Foley, etc. The only thing they care about is body counts and retreat.

Thank God for soldiers and protectors like Michael Monsoor.
Posted by: Captain America   2006-10-14 11:00  

#10  "When he shall die
Take him and cut him out in little stars
And he will make the face of heav'n so fine
That all the world will be in love with night
And pay no worship to the garish sun."
- Wm. Shakespeare

May Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael A. Monsoor's light shine eternal.
Posted by: DigitalPatriot   2006-10-14 10:13  

#9  level Ramadi. Bastards
Posted by: Frank G   2006-10-14 09:57  

#8  God bless him and his family.
Posted by: 49 Pan   2006-10-14 09:47  

#7  Maybe he'll join Staff Sergeant Paul R. Smith
Posted by: Bobby   2006-10-14 08:18  

#6  I don't know where they come from.
Posted by: Shipman   2006-10-14 07:41  

#5  I hope he'll give our best regards to Carlos Hathcock, Audie Murphy and Chesty Puller.
Posted by: mac   2006-10-14 07:11  

#4  When they look up "American hero" in the dictionary, there will be a picture of Michael A. Monsoor.
Posted by: Greaque Thinerong8160   2006-10-14 03:36  

#3  Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael Monsoor

Garden Grove resident and SEAL dies in combat
Garden Grove resident Michael Monsoor was proud of his service and accomplishments, friends say.

Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael A. Monsoor was supposed to come back home from Iraq in about two weeks, in time for Halloween, his favorite holiday.

Friends were planning a Halloween and "welcome home" bash for the 25-year-old Navy SEAL, said Patrick Barnes, one of Monsoor's best friends.

Monsoor died Friday while conducting combat operations against enemy forces in Ramadi, Iraq, the Department of Defense announced Tuesday. He was assigned to a West Coast-based command.

Barnes said his friend was an adventurer who enjoyed traveling in Europe while he was deployed in Italy and loved snowboarding, fast cars and motorcycles.

He was also "honest, straightforward and a great friend."

"He was selective about the friends he made," Barnes said, fighting back tears. "But when you became his friend, you became his brother."

A family member who answered the door at Monsoor's home in Garden Grove said the family was too distraught to comment.

Monsoor enlisted in the U.S. Navy in March 2001 and became a SEAL in January 2002, said Lt. Taylor Clark, a spokesman for the Naval Special Warfare Command.

Rear Admiral Joseph A. Maguire said in a statement that Monsoor "died conducting some of our military's most important missions."

"This sailor along with our two wounded teammates chose a life of significant meaning – to defend freedom and protect America and its allies from terrorism," he said.

"We hope that in time Michael's family is comforted in knowing that he died fighting for what he believed in and we will not forget his sacrifice."

Debbie Nelson, a neighbor and mother of one of Monsoor's friends, said Monsoor's was a "great boy, handsome and very polite."

"He was very proud of what he had achieved in the Navy," she said.

He grew up in Garden Grove, attended Dr. Walter C. Ralston Intermediate School and graduated from Garden Grove High School in 1999.

Monsoor was a strong, determined person who never gave up, his friend Danny Wright said.

"The first time he tried to become a SEAL, he didn't make it," he said.

Monsoor was crushed by his failure, Wright said.

"But he tried again and made it the second time," he said. "He was very proud of what he had accomplished."

Monsoor could be profound and serious at times and yet be funny around his friends, Barnes said.

"Last Halloween, he was one of the Super Mario Brothers," he said. "This year, we were supposed to dress up as sumo wrestlers."

Wright said Monsoor had sent him an e-mail two days before he died.

"He'd said he was proud of me," he recalled. "And he told me to continue pursuing my dreams. It was as if he was saying goodbye and wishing me luck with my life."

Monsoor is survived by his parents, two brothers, a sister, nieces and nephews. Services are pending.

RIP
Posted by: RD   2006-10-14 02:05  

#2  Words fail. This man is a genuine hero. God bless him and his family.
Amen.
Posted by: Dunno   2006-10-14 00:33  

#1  "He never took his eye off the grenade, his only movement was down toward it ..."

There are few greater sacrifices anybody can make for their fellow soldiers or country. Rest In Eternal Peace Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael A. Monsoor. A "second class" soldier you never were.

Here is the link to his guestbook. Please take a moment to express your personal sentiments.
Posted by: Zenster   2006-10-14 00:18  

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