MARINE OF THE WEEK // THE HERO OF NASIRIYAH:
SgtMaj. Justin Lehew
Task Force Tarawa, I Marine Expeditionary Force
An Nasiriyah, Iraq, 2003
Award: Navy Cross
As Regimental Combat Team 2 attacked north towards An Nasiriyah, Iraq on March 23-24, 2003, lead elements of the battalion came under heavy enemy fire. When a beleaguered U.S. Army 507th Maintenance Company convoy was spotted in the distance, then-Gunnery Sgt. Lehew and his crew were dispatched to rescue the soldiers. Under constant enemy fire, he led the rescue team to the soldiers. With total disregard for his own welfare, Lehew assisted the evacuation effort of four soldiers, two of whom were critically wounded. While still receiving enemy fire, he climbed back into his vehicle and immediately began suppressing enemy infantry. During the subsequent company attack on the eastern bridge over the Euphrates River, Lehew continuously exposed himself to withering enemy fire during the three-hour urban firefight. His courageous battlefield presence inspired his Marines to fight a determined foe and allowed him to position his platoon’s heavy machine guns to repel numerous waves of attackers. In the midst of the battle, an Amphibious Assault Vehicle was destroyed, killing or wounding all its occupants. Lehew immediately moved to recover the nine Marines. He again exposed himself to a barrage of fire as he worked for nearly an hour recovering casualties from the wreckage. (U.S. Marine Corps photos courtesy of SgtMaj. Justin Lehew)
The more dire the situation the more steely the resolve. Sgt.Maj. Justin Lehew one bad-ass Marine! OOH-RAH!
Well done Sgt. Maj. Semper Fidelis from a Virginian AAV mechanic from the 80’s.
Of course it only rated a Navy Cross. Really?? I see this upgraded to MOH. I know that doesn’t matter to SgtMaj Lehew; he probably sees it as just being a Marine but a lot of mothers and fathers see it as a lot more. Semper Fi
So awesome SgtMaj. Justin Lehew!!!… I was one of the Trc-170 Operators for that region and as a result of our communications being maintained through the night of fighting in An Nasiriyah, Iraq, we received the PUC!