It was just another day of ordinary but dangerous duty at the entrance to a Marine and Iraqi police encampment in Ramadi, Iraq, for Lance Cpl. Jordan Haerter, from Sag Harbor, N.Y., and Cpl. Jonathan T. Yale, from Burkeville, Va., just about a year ago, on April 22, 2008.
The two Marines were standing guard at at the entrance to the encampment, when suddenly a truck began to rapidly weave around concrete obstacles towards the gate to the compound.
The rest is the stuff of heroes.
The truck was packed with thousands of pounds of explosives. Realizing the truck’s intentions Haerter and Yale, without hesitation, and with complete disregard for their own safety, drew their weapons and engaged the truck with precise fire.
As a result, the truck stopped just short of entering the compound, but regrettably the suicide bomber was able to detonate his lethal cargo, leveling the entry control point and mortally wounding the two heroes.
According to Lance Cpl. Benjamin Tupaj, a rifleman with 3rd Platoon, Weapons Company, 1st Bn., 9th Marines: “The explosion blew out all of the windows over 150 meters from where the blast hit…They saved all of our lives, if it wasn’t for them that gate probably wouldn’t have held. If that truck had made it into the compound, there would’ve been a lot more casualties. They saved everyone’s life here.”
The attack was captured on video tape, up to the moment of the explosion.
The actions of the two Marines have been credited with saving the lives of 50 U.S. and Iraqi policemen.
Today, at a ceremony at the National Museum of the Marine Corps near Quantico, Va., Secretary of the Navy Donald Winter, honored their heroism by presenting the two Marines posthumously with the Navy’s highest medal for valor, the Navy Cross—second only to the Medal of Honor. The medal, which dates back to 1919, is awarded “for extraordinary heroism . . . in the presence of great danger”
Note: It took 10 months to “process” the awards for these heroes—awards second only to the Medal of Honor. This shows that we can honor our heroes in a timely manner.
Image of Navy Cross: Patriotguard.org
