Michael A. Monsoor

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Michael A. Monsoor
Born(1981-04-05)April 5, 1981
Long Beach, California, United States
DiedSeptember 29, 2006(2006-09-29) (aged 25)
Ramadi, Iraq
Buried
Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery
AllegianceUnited States
Service/branchUnited States Navy
Years of service2001–2006
RankMaster at arms second class
UnitSEAL Team 3
Battles/warsIraq War
AwardsMedal of Honor
Silver Star
Bronze Star Medal
Purple Heart

Michael Anthony Monsoor (April 5, 1981 – September 29, 2006) was a

United States Navy SEAL who was killed in Operation Iraqi Freedom during the Battle of Ramadi and posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.[1] He enlisted in the United States Navy in 2001 and graduated from Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL Training
BUD/S class 250 in 2004. After further training he was assigned to Delta Platoon, SEAL Team 3.

Delta Platoon was sent to Iraq in April 2006 and assigned to train

Iraqi Army soldiers in Ramadi. Over the next five months, Monsoor and his platoon frequently engaged in combat with insurgent forces. On September 29, 2006, an insurgent threw a grenade onto a rooftop where Monsoor and several other SEALs and Iraqi soldiers were positioned. Monsoor quickly smothered the grenade
with his body, absorbing the resulting explosion and saving his comrades from serious injury or death. Monsoor died about 30 minutes later from his wounds.

Monsoor was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, which was presented by President George W. Bush to Monsoor's parents on April 8, 2008. USS Michael Monsoor (DDG-1001), the second ship in the Zumwalt class of guided missile destroyers, was also named in his honor.

Early life and education

Monsoor was born April 5, 1981, in

tight-end on the school's football team, graduating in 1999.[6][7]

Military career

United States Navy SEALs

Monsoor (lower right corner) during his SEAL training in August 2004

Monsoor enlisted in the

Master-at-Arms, and he was assigned to Delta Platoon, SEAL Team 3.[3][8]

Iraq War

Michael Monsoor, a U.S. Navy SEAL, with a fellow SEAL teammate, dressed in green camouflage uniform loaded with green combat uniforms. Both are carrying firearms and wearing sunglasses. There is a white-colored building and green smoke billowing in the background
Monsoor in Iraq in 2006

During the

Iraqi Army soldiers. As a communicator and machine-gunner on patrols, Monsoor carried 100 pounds (45 kg) of gear in temperatures often exceeding 100 °F. He took a lead position to protect the platoon from frontal assault and the team was frequently involved in battles with insurgent fighters. During the first five months of deployment, that platoon from Team 3 was assigned to Camp Corregidor on the east side of Ramadi, led by then-Lieutenant Seth Stone
, who also earned the Silver Star for his own actions on the same September 29, 2006 operation.

During fighting on May 9, 2006, Monsoor ran into a street while under continuous insurgent gunfire to rescue an injured comrade. Monsoor was awarded the Silver Star for this action,[6][9] and was also awarded the Bronze Star Medal for his service in Iraq.[7]

Death

On September 29, 2006, Monsoor's platoon shot at four insurgents in a firefight in Ramadi, killing one and injuring another. Anticipating further attacks, Monsoor, three SEAL snipers and three Iraqi Army soldiers took up a rooftop position. Civilians aiding the insurgents blocked off the streets, and a nearby mosque broadcast a message for people to fight against the Americans and the Iraqi soldiers. Monsoor was protecting other SEALs, two of whom were 15 feet away from him. Monsoor's position made him the only SEAL on the rooftop with quick access to an escape route.[6][7]

A grenade was thrown onto the rooftop by an insurgent on the street below. The grenade hit Monsoor in the chest and fell to the floor. Immediately, Monsoor yelled "Grenade!" and jumped onto the grenade, covering it with his body. The grenade exploded seconds later, and Monsoor's body absorbed most of the force of the blast. Monsoor was severely wounded and although evacuated immediately, he died 30 minutes later. Two other SEALs next to him at the time were injured by the explosion but survived.[3][6]

Monsoor was described as a "quiet professional" and a "fun-loving guy" by those who knew him. He is buried at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in San Diego.[6]

Funeral

During the funeral, as the coffin was moving from the hearse to the grave site, Navy SEALs were lined up forming a column of twos on both sides of the pallbearers' route, with the coffin moving up the center. As the coffin passed each SEAL, they slapped down the gold Trident each had removed from his own uniform and deeply embedded it into the wooden coffin.[10]

The display moved many attending the funeral, including President Bush, who spoke about the incident later during a speech stating: "The procession went on nearly half an hour, and when it was all over, the simple wooden coffin had become a gold-plated memorial to a hero who will never be forgotten."[10]

Awards and decorations

V
Bronze star
Special Warfare insignia
Medal of Honor Silver Star
Combat V
 Purple Heart Combat Action Ribbon
Navy Good Conduct Medal
 National Defense Service Medal Iraq Campaign Medal
with star
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Sea Service Deployment Ribbon
Navy & Marine Corps
Overseas Service Ribbon 		Navy Expert Rifleman Medal
Navy Expert Pistol Shot Medal
Navy and Marine Corps Parachutist Insignia

Medal of Honor

Sally and George Monsoor receive Michael Monsoor's Medal of Honor from President George W. Bush

On March 31, 2008, the

War on Terrorism
.

Medal of Honor citation

Michael A. Monsoor's Medal of Honor pictured with the Navy Special Warfare (SEAL) Trident.
A light blue neck ribbon with a gold star shaped medallion hanging from it. The ribbon is similar in shape to a bowtie with 13 white stars in the center of the ribbon.

Legacy

In 2011, the United States Department of Veterans Affairs honored Monsoor by naming one of the first three named streets at Miramar National Cemetery after him.[13]

USS Michael Monsoor (DDG-1001)

In October 2008, United States Secretary of the Navy Donald C. Winter announced that the second ship in the Zumwalt class of destroyers would be named USS Michael Monsoor (DDG-1001) in honor of Petty Officer Monsoor.[14]

Mountain Warfare Training Camp Michael Monsoor

A SEAL training facility—located about 50 miles (80 km) east of San Diego—was renamed Mountain Warfare Training Camp Michael Monsoor.[15]

U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps

There is a U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps unit named the "Michael A. Monsoor Battalion" based in Camp Pendleton, California. The unit symbol is composed of Petty Officer Monsoor's Medal of Honor, SEAL Trident, and Master-at-Arms shield. Everyone in the unit knows Petty Officer Michael A. Monsoor's career history and shares it with all new cadets.[16]

Garden Grove High School Memorial Stadium

As part of modernization, Garden Grove High School, where Michael Monsoor attended, dedicated the newly built stadium to him, naming it "Michael Monsoor Memorial Stadium".[17][18][19]

Books

Michael Monsoor is mentioned in the book by Rorke Denver, Damn Few: Making the Modern SEAL Warrior.[20] and has a chapter about his story and is pictured on the cover of the 2008 book The Sheriff of Ramadi: Navy SEALs and the Winning of al-Anbar by Dick Couch. [21]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Michael A. Monsoor". Military Times. Archived from the original on March 29, 2009. Retrieved December 24, 2010.
  2. ^
    ISBN 9780977700721
    .
  3. ^ a b c Perry, Tony, "Destroyer To Bear O.C. SEAL's Name", Los Angeles Times, October 30, 2008, p. B2.
  4. ^ Elliott, Andrea (November 8, 2009). "Complications Grow for Muslims Serving in U.S. Military". The New York Times. Retrieved March 30, 2010.
  5. ^ ""The Story of Medal of Honor Recipient, Michael Monsoor. With George Monsoor"". Youtube.com. 2022. p. minute 5.45.
  6. ^ a b c d e Perry, Tony (April 1, 2008). "Sailor Killed in Iraq Awarded Medal of Honor". Los Angeles Times. p. 1. Retrieved September 18, 2008.
  7. ^
    New York Times
    .
  8. ^ a b "Medal of Honor Winner Monsoor Bio". North Shore Journal. April 1, 2008.
  9. Military Times
    .
  10. ^
    Foxnews.com. Archived from the original
    on April 18, 2012. Retrieved October 31, 2008.
  11. ^ The Associated Press (April 1, 2008). "Medal of Honor for Navy Officer in Iraq". New York Times. Retrieved April 2, 2008.
  12. ^ Office of the Press Secretary (April 8, 2008). "President Bush Attends Medal of Honor Ceremony for Petty Officer Michael A. Monsoor, U.S. Navy" (Press release). The White House, George W. Bush.
  13. San Diego Union Tribune
    . Retrieved February 24, 2012.
  14. ^ "SECNAV Names New Zumwalt-Class Destroyer USS Michael Monsoor" (Press release). United States Department of Defense. October 30, 2008. Retrieved October 31, 2008.
  15. ^ "Department of the Navy Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 Budget Estimates – Justification of Estimates February 2018" (PDF). Retrieved February 22, 2020.
  16. ^ "Military briefs, Friday, Aug. 12, 2011". The San Diego Union-Tribune. August 12, 2011. Retrieved February 22, 2020.
  17. ^ SOFREP (August 30, 2017). "Dedication event for Monsoor Stadium set". SOFREP. Retrieved February 22, 2020.
  18. ^ Ian Hanigan (September 12, 2017). "Garden Grove High School dedicates new stadium in honor of fallen war hero". OCDE Newsroom. Retrieved February 22, 2020.
  19. ^ Jory Rand (September 12, 2017). "Navy SEAL who sacrificed life for team honored at school in Southern California". ABC7News. Retrieved February 22, 2020.
  20. ISBN 9781448169962
    .
  21. ^ https://www.usni.org/press/books/sheriff-ramadi

External links

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