Maintenance window scheduled to begin at February 14th 2200 est. until 0400 est. February 15th

(e.g. yourname@email.com)

Forgot Password?

    Defense Visual Information Distribution Service Logo

    CJCS awards Purple Hearts to Marines in N. Iraq

    CJCS awards Purple Hearts to Marines in N. Iraq

    Photo By Staff Sgt. Peter Berardi | Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford studies a unit coin...... read more read more

    KARA SOAR BASE, Iraq – With the sun setting and dust floating in the air, U.S. Marines with Battery E, 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, stand in front of their M777A2 howitzer – quiet only for the moment – as the U.S. military’s top general prepares to award four of their fellow Marines the Purple Heart at Kara Soar Base, Makhmur, Iraq, April 22.

    United States Marine Corps General Joseph Dunford, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, pinned the medal on Cpl. Adam J. Seanor, Cpl. William Crisostomosfelipe, Lance Cpl. Eli Cisco and Lance Cpl. Javier A. Suarezmontalvo. The field artillery cannon crewmen were presented Purple Hearts for wounds sustained during a rocket strike near their gun position March 19.

    “When I give Purple Hearts, I don't say congratulations; it's not an award you go out to win; it's not one you want a second time. But it is an important award, I believe, because you know somebody who has spilled blood on behalf of our nation and made a sacrifice and been in harm’s way,” said Dunford to the four Marines. “There's certainly no words that would be adequate to tell you how proud I am of you and how much I appreciate what you're doing out here and what a difference in the campaign that you're making by being out here.”

    These four Marines and the rest of their battery deployed from Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, October 2015, aboard the USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) Amphibious Ready Group, in order to maintain regional security in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations. They came ashore February 2016, and moved north to occupy KSB in mid-March 2016.

    “We went from just MEUs on a ship and then, just like that, we were out here in the suck,” said Seanor. “It's definitely an eye-opening experience, and it's something that I think all Marines should go through; all Marines should need to know what it’s like to be out somewhere in this type of environment.”

    The unit they replaced conducted several partnership exercises but never deployed into a combat zone, so when the call came, Marines of Battery E, 26th MEU, were caught by surprise at the approval to move forward into Iraq.

    “When the deployment first started this was never even an idea,” said Cisco. “Then it became an idea, and we never thought it was going to get approved.
    Despite Cisco’s reservations, the order to move did get approved, but his excitement was quickly disappeared.

    “Then the second day here is when we got hit with the rocket, that's when it kind of hit everybody, this stuff is real, there's people out here really trying to kill you,” said Cisco.

    On March 19, a rocket fired by Daesh militants struck near the Marines' gun position, taking the life of U.S. Marine Staff Sgt. Louis Cardin, and wounding several other Marines.

    The Marines had the loss of their brother fresh in their minds as they continued to support the mission.

    “I was kind of depressed the first week, week and a half,” said Crisostomosfelipe. “After talking about it with some of the other guys I feel better though. I'm actually glad to be here now and I wanna keep doing my job, and I wanna stay here as long as they're here,” he said as he looked toward his fellow Marines.

    Dunford recognized the Marines perseverance and drive to continue the mission.

    “I'm sure [Cardin is] looking down right now,” said Dunford. “Proud of the fact that you guys are doing what you’re doing and what you’re expected to do."

    It's been over a month since the rocket strike, and the Marines are standing in the shadow of their gun, within view of where the rocket hit, ready to receive their Purple Hearts.

    “A lot of guys around here were telling me that when they got their Purple Heart it was by a battalion commander or sergeant major, and I'm getting mine where it happened in this bunker, where the attack happened, by the [chairman of the] Joint Chiefs of Staff, so it's pretty sweet,” said Seanor.

    Dunford was equally amazed at the timing and location of the ceremony – an unlikely occurrence.

    “I don't know anybody else that's actually received a Purple Heart at the point of injury,” said Dunford. “It's special for me to stand on this ground where we lost him, with the Marines that were with him, with the Marines that he so ably led. When you go back home it'll be hard to explain, hard to tell people exactly the impact you are having, but I hope you recognize that's the absolute truth, and you are making a difference out here, and we recognize and appreciate what you’re doing.”

    With darkness creeping in, the sounds of helicopters buzzing in the air, the Marines of Gun One bid farewell to Dunford, shaking his hand and presenting him with some mementos from his visit to remember the Marines of Battery E: a battery coin and a primer from one of the missions that they shot.

    LEAVE A COMMENT

    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 04.22.2016
    Date Posted: 04.28.2016 02:06
    Story ID: 196725
    Location: IQ
    Hometown: CAMP LEJEUNE, NC, US
    Hometown: MINGO, WV, US
    Hometown: MONTGOMERY, PA, US
    Hometown: ORANGE, CA, US
    Hometown: ORANGE, FL, US

    Web Views: 320
    Downloads: 0

    PUBLIC DOMAIN