|
Navy Cross Citation
The President of the United States takes pride in presenting the NAVY
CROSS posthumously to
SERGEANT RAFAEL PERALTA
UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS
for service as set forth in the following
CITATION:
For
extraordinary heroism while serving as Platoon Guide with 1st Platoon,
Company A, 1st Battalion, 3d Marines, Regimental Combat Team 7, 1st
Marine Division, in action against Anti-Coalition Forces in support of
Operation AL FAJR, in Fallujah, Iraq on 15 November 2004. Clearing
scores of houses in the previous three days, Sergeant Peralta' asked to
join an under strength squad and volunteered to stand post the night of
14 November, allowing fellow Marines more time to rest. The following
morning, during search and attack operations, while clearing the seventh
house of the day, the point man opened a door to a back room and
immediately came under intense, close-range automatic weapons fire from
multiple insurgents. The squad returned fire, wounding one insurgent.
While attempting to maneuver out of the line of fire, Sergeant 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 Sergeant
Peralta's head. Without hesitation and with complete disregard for his
own personal safety, Sergeant Peralta reached out and pulled the grenade
to his body, absorbing the brunt of the blast and shielding fellow
Marines only feet away. Sergeant Peralta succumbed to his wounds. By his
undaunted courage, intrepid fighting spirit, and unwavering devotion to
duty, Sergeant Peralta reflected great credit upon himself and upheld
the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval
Service. |
