- Joined
- May 18, 2009
- Location
- st augustine,florida
Lejeune Marine Receives Silver Star
March 01, 2011
Jacksonville Daily News
A squad leader who ran through a barrage of enemy bullets to help a wounded Marine.
A captain who continued to give orders after being hit in the face with shrapnel.
A sergeant major who led his troops out of harm's way and avoided a civilian bloodbath.
A lance corporal who led his team through 200 meters of enemy machine-gun fire.
These four Marines with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit received medals Monday for valor in combat while deployed to Afghanistan's Helmand Providence with 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 7, 1st Marine Division (Fwd), from late 2009 to mid-2010.
Sgt. Joseph M. Perez, a squad leader with Fox Company, received a Silver Star for his actions. Lance Cpl. Lance J. Carney, a Fox Company fire team leader; Sgt. Maj. William E. Heyob, battalion sergeant major; and Capt. Brandon J. Gorman, Echo Company commander, each received Bronze Stars with a combat distinguishing device.
Lt. Gen. John M. Paxton, Jr., commanding general for II Marine Expeditionary Force, presented each Marine with his medal.
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"The 2/2 has always been a great unit," he said. "These are four great Marines, four great leaders. They showed confidence in their equipment, training and fellow Marines."
Perez, who was awarded a Silver Star for saving a wounded Marine and killing two enemy fighters, said young Marines should pay attention to their training and learn as much as possible.
His wife, Juanita Perez, said her husband works hard every day at being a good Marine.
"He deserves it," she said of his medal, adding that he is setting an example for new Marines.
While on patrol Dec. 27, 2009, near Luguryan Village in the Helmand Province, Perez's squad was completely surrounded by five enemy machine-gun positions. Perez's squad was pinned down and his point man was wounded. While under direct enemy fire, Perez sprinted through 50 meters of open field and rendered first aid to the wounded Marine, his citation reads.
The general said new Marines could learn a lot from Gorman, an officer who could "take rounds, get wounded in the face and still give orders."
On Nov. 24, 2009, while on patrol, Gorman's headquarters section came under enemy machine-gun fire. Gorman tried to identify enemy positions through his optic equipment when his weapon and helmet were struck, sending shrapnel into his face. Wounded, he continued to assess the situation and give orders. His Marines neutralized enemy fighters, resulting in multiple enemy casualties, his citation reads.
Heyob said when he arrived in the Helmand Province in October 2009 he was in around 15 firefights a day, but by the time 2/2 left, they were building schools.
"Just because you have the clearance to kill someone doesn't mean you have to," Heyob told the Marines in 2/2 gathered for the ceremony.
Heyob -- who participated in more than 50 combat patrols from late 2009 to May 2010 -- said that on Jan. 12, 2010, the Taliban sparked a riot in the Garmsir District Center.
The local police station and governor's compound were on the verge of being overrun so Heyob led a group of Marine vehicles into a crowd of more than 300 rioters to supply reinforcements to the embattled local friendly forces.
"Flames were everywhere," Heyob said. "It was pretty chaotic."
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Rioters tossed rocks and fired at the Marines with AK-47s. But rather than return fire, which he would have been justified in doing, Heyob ordered his Marines to hold their fire and back their vehicles out of the riot area. His actions de-escalated a fight that could have led to hundreds of civilian casualties, his citation reads.
"His courage and coolness under fire consistently provided a steadying moral influence to peers and subordinates, and shaped the success of the battalion," his citation reads.
Heyob said his medal was for all the Marines and Sailors in the 2/2 in Afghanistan.
Carney, who is leaving the Marine Corps in less than 30 days to attend college, echoed Heyob's feelings. He said he didn't deserve the medal, that it belonged to the entire unit.
"We showed them you don't mess with Marines," Carney said.
Carney's squad was ambushed by Taliban forces Dec. 27, 2009, southwest of Laguryan Village, in the Garmsir District of the Helmand Province.
While pinned down in an open field, Carney kept his composure and used his M-203 grenade launcher with lethal results. He then led his team through 200 meters of enemy machine-gun fire to kill two Taliban fighters and wound another one, according to his citation.
"Lance Corporal Carney's courageous leadership and unflinching resolve served as the inspiration for his Marines to accomplish tremendous feats in the midst of great danger," his citation reads
March 01, 2011
Jacksonville Daily News
A squad leader who ran through a barrage of enemy bullets to help a wounded Marine.
A captain who continued to give orders after being hit in the face with shrapnel.
A sergeant major who led his troops out of harm's way and avoided a civilian bloodbath.
A lance corporal who led his team through 200 meters of enemy machine-gun fire.
These four Marines with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit received medals Monday for valor in combat while deployed to Afghanistan's Helmand Providence with 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 7, 1st Marine Division (Fwd), from late 2009 to mid-2010.
Sgt. Joseph M. Perez, a squad leader with Fox Company, received a Silver Star for his actions. Lance Cpl. Lance J. Carney, a Fox Company fire team leader; Sgt. Maj. William E. Heyob, battalion sergeant major; and Capt. Brandon J. Gorman, Echo Company commander, each received Bronze Stars with a combat distinguishing device.
Lt. Gen. John M. Paxton, Jr., commanding general for II Marine Expeditionary Force, presented each Marine with his medal.
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"The 2/2 has always been a great unit," he said. "These are four great Marines, four great leaders. They showed confidence in their equipment, training and fellow Marines."
Perez, who was awarded a Silver Star for saving a wounded Marine and killing two enemy fighters, said young Marines should pay attention to their training and learn as much as possible.
His wife, Juanita Perez, said her husband works hard every day at being a good Marine.
"He deserves it," she said of his medal, adding that he is setting an example for new Marines.
While on patrol Dec. 27, 2009, near Luguryan Village in the Helmand Province, Perez's squad was completely surrounded by five enemy machine-gun positions. Perez's squad was pinned down and his point man was wounded. While under direct enemy fire, Perez sprinted through 50 meters of open field and rendered first aid to the wounded Marine, his citation reads.
The general said new Marines could learn a lot from Gorman, an officer who could "take rounds, get wounded in the face and still give orders."
On Nov. 24, 2009, while on patrol, Gorman's headquarters section came under enemy machine-gun fire. Gorman tried to identify enemy positions through his optic equipment when his weapon and helmet were struck, sending shrapnel into his face. Wounded, he continued to assess the situation and give orders. His Marines neutralized enemy fighters, resulting in multiple enemy casualties, his citation reads.
Heyob said when he arrived in the Helmand Province in October 2009 he was in around 15 firefights a day, but by the time 2/2 left, they were building schools.
"Just because you have the clearance to kill someone doesn't mean you have to," Heyob told the Marines in 2/2 gathered for the ceremony.
Heyob -- who participated in more than 50 combat patrols from late 2009 to May 2010 -- said that on Jan. 12, 2010, the Taliban sparked a riot in the Garmsir District Center.
The local police station and governor's compound were on the verge of being overrun so Heyob led a group of Marine vehicles into a crowd of more than 300 rioters to supply reinforcements to the embattled local friendly forces.
"Flames were everywhere," Heyob said. "It was pretty chaotic."
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Rioters tossed rocks and fired at the Marines with AK-47s. But rather than return fire, which he would have been justified in doing, Heyob ordered his Marines to hold their fire and back their vehicles out of the riot area. His actions de-escalated a fight that could have led to hundreds of civilian casualties, his citation reads.
"His courage and coolness under fire consistently provided a steadying moral influence to peers and subordinates, and shaped the success of the battalion," his citation reads.
Heyob said his medal was for all the Marines and Sailors in the 2/2 in Afghanistan.
Carney, who is leaving the Marine Corps in less than 30 days to attend college, echoed Heyob's feelings. He said he didn't deserve the medal, that it belonged to the entire unit.
"We showed them you don't mess with Marines," Carney said.
Carney's squad was ambushed by Taliban forces Dec. 27, 2009, southwest of Laguryan Village, in the Garmsir District of the Helmand Province.
While pinned down in an open field, Carney kept his composure and used his M-203 grenade launcher with lethal results. He then led his team through 200 meters of enemy machine-gun fire to kill two Taliban fighters and wound another one, according to his citation.
"Lance Corporal Carney's courageous leadership and unflinching resolve served as the inspiration for his Marines to accomplish tremendous feats in the midst of great danger," his citation reads