Medal of Honor Presentation to Michael Monsoor

ladies and gentlemen the vice president of the United States ladies and gentlemen the President of the United States let us pray Lord in the Holy Scriptures we read greater love has no man than this that he lay down his life for his friends father we have no doubt that Petty Officer Michael Monsoor possess great love in his heart for his family his country his Navy and his God and for him this verse from the scriptures was not just words he found inspiring from a Bible study but words that became his own personal belief and spiritual truth we know he loved his fellow seals and Rangers Marines his team his brothers in arms to the point but without hesitation he sacrificed himself that they might live Lord we pray you'd bless Michael's family today his parents George and Sally his sister Sarah and brothers James and Joseph and continue to be their source of comfort and strength granting them sufficient grace for each day to meet their deepest needs we pray as well Lord for Michael seal family those special warriors Michael love - just like Mike faithfully serve the cause of freedom and liberty around the world what we say and do here now O Lord may it bring honor to you and to the memory of Petty Officer Michael Anthony monks order your Holy Name we pray amen good afternoon and welcome the Medal of Honor is America's highest decoration for military valor over the years many who have received the medal have given their lives in the action that earned it the name of petty officer Michael Anthony Monsour will now be among them September 2006 Michael laid down his life for his brothers in arms today we remember the life of this faithful Navy SEAL and on behalf of a grateful nation we will present Michael monsterous family with the Medal of Honor that he earned welcome to Vice President Secretary of Defense gates thank you for coming Secretary of Veterans Affairs Peake Secretary Don winner of the navy admiral mike mullen charm of the Joint Chiefs and his wife Debra general james Conway Commandant of Marine Corps and Annette and will Gary ruff ed Chief of Naval Operations and wife Ellen Senator John McCain congressman ed Royce congresswoman Loretta Sanchez previous Medal of Honor recipients thank you for joining us appreciate chaplain Burt Navy SEALs the finest warriors on the face of the earth the Monsour family and everybody else Medal of Honor is awarded for an act of such courage that no one could rightly be expected to undertake it yet those who knew Michael Monsour were not surprised when he did the son of Orange County California grew up in a family we're helping others was a way of life Mike's father was a marine his mother a social worker together they raised their four children to understand the meaning of service and sacrifice from a very early age Mike showed the strength of his own convictions apparently going to kindergarten one-one of them Mike had no complaints after the first week of school until someone broke the news to him that he had to go back the next week many mornings Mike refused to put on the nice clothes for school steady he insisted on wearing mismatched outfits Mike's mother soon discovered there was no stopping to determine young boy from mixing plaids and stripes and years later there would be no stopping and even more determined young man from donning a uniform of navy blue in some ways Mike was an unlikely candidate for the Navy he suffered from terrible asthma as a child when some nights his coughing fits would land him in the hospital but Mike would not lay low for long he strengthened his lungs by racing his siblings in the swimming pool he worked to wean himself off his inhaler he built himself into superb athlete excelling from sports like football to snowboarding after enlisting the Navy began preparing for the ultimate test of physical endurance SEAL training less than a third of those who begin this training become seals but Mike would not be denied a spot in September 2004 he earned the right to wear the Navy SEAL Trident the newly minted frogman became a beloved member of the SEAL team community his teammates like to laugh about the way a shiny Corvette would leave everybody in the dust but deep down they always knew Mike would never leave anybody behind when it counted he earned their confidence with his attention to detail and quiet work ethic one of Mike's officers remembers an instructor once asking after an intense training session quote what's the deal with the Monsour guy he just says Roger that to everything when Mike deployed with his team to Ramadi in the spring of 2006 he brought that attitude with him because he served as both a heavy machine gunner and a communications operator often had a double load of equipment sometimes more than 100 pounds worth but under the glare of the Hot Desert Sun never lost his cool at the time Ramadi was in the clutches of al Qaeda terrorists and insurgents together the seals in the Army 1st battalion of the 506 empathy Regiment took the offense against the enemy the seals carried out a broad range of special operations including providing sniper cover and tough urban conditions and conducting raids against terrorists and insurgents overall mice platoon came under enemy attack during 75% of their missions and in most of these engagements Mike was out front defending his brothers in May 2006 Mike and another SEAL ran into the line of fire to save a wounded teammate with bullets flying all around a Mike returned fire with one hand while helping pull the injured man to safety with the other and her dream about the incident months later the wounded seal envisioned Mike coming to the rescue with wings on instilled the shoulders Saint Michael's day September 29 2006 Michael Monsoor would make the ultimate sacrifice Mike and two teammates had taken position on the outcropping of a rooftop when an insurgent grenade mouse Mike's chest and landed on the roof Mike had a clear chance to escape but he realized that the other two seals did not and that terrible moment he had two options to save himself or to save his friends for Mike there was no choice at all he threw himself on the grenade and absorbed the blast with his body one of the survivors puts it this way Mike he looked death in the face that day and said you cannot take my brothers I will go in their stead perhaps the greatest tributes to Mike's life is the way different service members all across the world responded to his death Army soldiers in Ramadi hosted a memorial service for the valiant man who had fought beside them Iraqi army scouts whom Mike helped train lowered their flag and sent it to his parents nearly every seal on the west coast turned out for Mike's funeral in California as the seals filed past a cab casket they removed their golden trident from the uniforms pressed him onto the walls of the coffin the procession went on nearly half an hour and when it was all over the simple wooden coffin had become a gold plate of memorial to a hero who will never be forgotten for his valor Michael Monsoor becomes the fourth Medal of Honor recipient in the war on terror like the three men who came before him Mike left us far too early but time will not diminish his legacy we see his legacy in the seals whose lives he saved we see his legacy in the city of Ramadi which has gone from one of the most dangerous places in Iraq to one of the most safest we see his legacy in the family that stands before us filled with grief but also with everlasting pride mr. mrs. Monsour America owes you a debt that can never be repaid this nation will always cherish the memory of your son we will not let his life go in vain and this nation will always honor the sacrifice he made may God comfort you may God bless america come on and now George and Sally monster will be here a military aide will leave with citation the President of the United States in the name of the Congress takes pride in presenting the Medal of Honor posthumously to master-at-arms second class sea air and land Michael a Monsour United States Navy for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as automatic weapons gunner for Naval Special Warfare Task Group Arabian Peninsula in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom on 29 September 2006 as a member of a combined steel and Iraqi army sniper overwatch element tasked with providing early morning and standoff protection from a rooftop in an insurgent health sector of our Raimondi Iraq petty officer Mansoor distinguished himself by his exceptional bravery in the face of grave danger in the early morning insurgents prepared to execute a coordinated attack by reconnoitering the area around the elements position elements diapers thwarted the enemy's initial attempt by eliminating two insurgents the enemy continued to assault the element engaging them with a rocket-propelled grenade and small arms fire as enemy activity increased petty officer Mansoor took position with his machine gun between two teammates on an outcropping of the roof while the seals virgili watch for enemy activity an insurgent threw a hand grenade from an unseen location which bounced off Petty Officer monsters chest and landed in front of him although only he could have escaped the blast Petty Officer Mansoor chose instead to protect his teammates instantly and without regard for his own safety he threw himself onto the grenade to absorb the force of the explosion with his body saving the lives of his two teammates by his undaunted courage fighting spirit and unwavering devotion to duty in the face of certain death petty officer Mansoor gallantly gave his life for his country thereby reflecting great credit upon himself and upholding the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service let us pray Almighty God it is with great awe and amazement that we leave this ceremony today having listened to the brave and daring actions of Petty Officer Michael Monsoor we thank you for young men and women who like Michael put their lives on the line and in your hands every day to make sure this nation stays free and great and now may your favour rest upon each one of us Lord and upon this nation as we leave this ceremony having once again been reminded of the greatness of the young warriors of this generation whose love for God family and country have motivated them to accomplish extraordinary things amen

Channel: USA Patriotism!

Views: 40,379

Keywords: Navy, Petty, Officer, Michael, Monsoor, Medal, of, Honor, hero, America, USA, United, States, fallen, ultimate, sacrifice, war, terror, President, George, Bush

Id: 7GJkpkmoLS4

Length: 14min 30sec (870 seconds)

Published: Thu Sep 15 2011