Iraq War
The Iraq War, also known as the Second Gulf War, Operation Iraqi Freedom (US), Operation TELIC (UK) or the occupation of Iraq, was a conflict which began on March 20, 2003 with the United States-led invasion of Iraq by a multinational coalition composed of U.S. and U.K. troops supported by smaller contingents from Australia, Poland, and other nations. Four service members have received the Medal of Honor for actions in Iraq; two from the Army, one from the Marine Corps and one from the Navy. Paul R. Smith was the first to receive it for his actions on April 4, 2003 when he held enemy forces back, allowing other wounded soldiers to be evacuated to safety. The other three, Corporal Jason Dunham of the Marine Corps, Specialist Ross A. McGinnis of the Army and Master-at-Arms Second Class Michael A. Monsoor of the Navy received it after being killed while using their own bodies to smother grenades to protect their comrades.
Lavender background and * indicates that the Medal of Honor was awarded posthumously
| Image | Name | Service | Rank | Place of action | Date of action | Unit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dunham, JasonJason Dunham* | Marine Corps | E-4 !Corporal | Iraq, near Syrian border | 02004-04-14April 14, 2004 | 3rd Battalion 7th Marines | Fought hand-to-hand with the enemy and hurled himself on a grenade to protect fellow Marines | |
| McGinnis, Ross A.Ross A. McGinnis* | Army | E-4 !Specialist | Adhamiyah, Iraq | 02006-12-04December 4, 2006 | C Company, 1-26th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division | Saved the lives of four soldiers by diving on a grenade while inside HMMWV (Humvee) | |
| Monsoor, Michael A.Michael A. Monsoor* | Navy | E-5 !Master-at-Arms Second Class | Ramadi, Iraq | 02006-09-29September 29, 2006 | SEAL Team Three, Delta Platoon | Saved the lives of his fellow SEALs at his sniper position by diving on a grenade | |
| Smith, Paul R.Paul R. Smith* | Army | E-7 !Sergeant First Class | Baghdad, Iraq !then-Saddam Int. Airport | 02003-04-04April 4, 2003 | B Company, 11th Engineer Battalion, 3rd Infantry Division | Held the enemy at bay allowing for the wounded to be carried out, died in the process |
Read more about this topic: List Of Medal Of Honor Recipients
Famous quotes containing the word war:
“War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things: the decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks nothing worth a war, is worse.... A war to protect other human beings against tyrannical injustice; a war to give victory to their own ideas of right and good, and which is their own war, carried on for an honest purpose by their own free choice—is often the means of their regeneration.”
—John Stuart Mill (1806–1873)