Sgt. Rafael Peralta
1st Battalion, 3rd Marines, Regimental Combat Team 7, 1st Marine Division
Fallujah, Iraq, November 15 2004
Award: Navy Cross (Posthumously)
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.
Should have received the Medal of Honor. The political bureaucrats say he didn’t knowingly cover the grenade. What bs. If he didn’t why the Navy Cross. Listen to the Marines that were there, not the Sec. Def and other officers who were not.Travisty.
Why a Navy Cross? You look back in history and any other service member would have received the Medal of Honor for doing what he had done, such a shame , someone should step up and reevaluate this marine sacrifice.
Amen!
Damn straight, this needs to be reevaluated ! Semper Fi !
The Commandant of the Marine Corps needs to step up and do his duty as Sgt. Peralta did – To Maintain The Highest Traditions Of The Marine Corps……………Sacrifice your life to save your brothers. The Medal Of Honor is more than justified………….
You Marines know whats it like.Sgt Peralta was probably put in for the Medal.When I see a Marine who was decorated,I always see a higher award than what he was awarded.God knows its an act of God when a Marine gets any combat medal.
Count me as another vote for the Medal of Honor. Is the Pentagon afraid it will diminish the award by handing out too many? Is there a quota?
The Secretary of Defense at the time (Robert Gates) is the one who killed the MOH recommendation. I hope he burns in hell.
The only person that kills a medal is the officer that investigates the incident. Then that report goes to a board that makes the decision. STUPID SHITBIRD!! You gotta be a Repuke!!!
His training produced instinctive heroism. Essentially this is the foundation of the Marine Corps and it occurs more often than not. Unfortunately, it is rarely recognized by others. He, without question, should receive the Medal of Honor, since he might have survived his head wound and lived a long productive life. In essence he gave his precious life for his fellow Marines. Unfortunately our military has become PC and the brass are bpoliticians not warriors.
MOH should have been the award. Another REMF running things. Start things rolling and I will be behind you. R.R.Acuff, CW2(Ret)
Political correction has “no” place. It is strictly a “mask.” We as Marines (Feb. 1, 1962 to Dec. 23, 1966) understand it is not about “me” or “you.” It is about all those whom you serve with in one’s assigned unit. This is a tragedy for this Marine to be awarded as such in a condescending manner. Without any comments or questions, the Marine Corps needs to correct their decision regarding what occurred and do the right thing to award this Marine the Medal of Honor as a minimum.
WHAT MORE CAN BE SAID ,EACH AND EVERY MARINE POSTED WHAT IS THE TRUTH. THE MARINE SACRIFICED HIS LIFE FOR OTHER MARINES,NO IF’S AND’S OR BUTS THE MEDAL OF HONOR SHOULD BE HIS REWARD. SEMPER FI
typical for the people who weren’t there you know the asses that approve or not medals.
Three former SecDefs did not help Sgt. Peralta perhaps General Mattis will.
THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE MOH WITHOUT QUESTION. WHAT DOES A MARINE HAVE TO DO TO GET THE MOH. IF HE HAD BEEN ARMY HE WOULD HAVE GOTTEN THE MOH AND NOT TAKE 14 YEARS TO GET IT. PISSED OFF OLD MARINE. VIETNAM VETERN 1968. QUANG TRI, DONG HA, CAM LO,CAMP CARROL DURING TET OFFENSE. J. CLARK, 2/9 MARINES,3RD MARINE DIVISION. ALL MARINES STAND UP FOR OUR BROTHER. SEMPER FI BROTHER AND MAY YOU REST IN PEACE.
This Marine should have gotten the CMH. His fellow Marines all know this SEMPER FI my brother
ONCE AGAIN THE BEAN COUNTERS SCREWING THE CORPS, THIS MARINE SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED THE MOH NOT THE NAVY CROSS. I WAS AN O341 FORWARD OBSERVER FOR 81MM MORTORS IN NAM 67-69 WITH 2/3 MARINES IN I CORPS AND IT SEEMED AS ALL OFFICERS CAME BACK WITH VALOR MEDALS WHILE THE ENLISTED MARINES GOT PURPLE HEARTS. PRAYERS OUT TO THIS MARINE AND HIS FAMILY AND THAT SGT. PERALTA WILL GET THE AWARD HE DESERVES. SEMPER FIDELIS
The MEDAL of HONOR for sure. SEMPER FI
The post of fellow Marines all speak. MOH Vietnam Veteran served both 68 and 69. SEMPER Fi
It is a shame that we keep getting but down of people that have no any idea of what it is to be a Marine. This brave Marine even though wounded knew he had to save the men around him, which he did, lost his life. I can only hope they push up his award to the Medal of Honor.
I believe he deserves more than that like silver star or at least brown star ,besides, how come that the mariens didn’t have their own designed medal for such exceptional heroic activities in addition to the navy’s, i still think they deserves more than that.
This marine deserves medal of honor,
Chesty is turning in his grave. This marine, deserves the MOH.
It’s a shame that this Marines family had to wait this long for their son to be honored, hopefully they don’t know what a slap in the face this Navy Cross is compared to the Medal of Honor for the sacrifice he made. Semper Fi brother, may you rest in peace knowing of how many lives you saved. OORAH!
Sergeant Peralta is the best of humanity and the finest of America. He deserves the Medal of Honor. We should all write to President Trump and ask that he personally intervene in this matter.
There is no greater sacrifice for a man give to is life for another life
The Medal of Honor is what this Sargeant must be awarded!!! Looks like race is again playing a part in these cases. My brothers friend was given the DSC for more than what Audie Murphy did in WW11 and what others did. He is Japanese American, Vietnam Veteran. If you look into other MoH awards, where the Marine threw himself on a gernade to save other Marines, they were awarded the MoH. Sgt Peralta was severly wounded, seeing the gernade, pulled it under himself to save other Marines. The MoH is warranted and must be awarded.
Had Sgt. Peralta been a Navy SEAL, hands down his actions would have been an MoH. The other question is, why haven’t the Marines who fought in. “Phantom Fury” been eligible for a Presidential Unit Citation? The Army Cav unit there got it!