U.S. Joseph Perez , Navy Cross , Iraq

[bobdina]

Navy Cross

Authorized February 4, 1919, the Navy Cross was the Navy's third highest award for combat heroism and other distinguished services. On August 7, 1942, Congress made the Navy Cross a combat only decoration with precedence over the Distinguished Service Medal, making it the Navy's second highest award ranking below only the Medal of Honor. It shares its position with the Army's Distinguished Service Cross and the Air Force Cross




Joseph Perez

* Place of birth: Houston, Texas
* Home of record: Houston, Texas
*

Awards and Citations

1.
Navy Cross

Awarded for actions during the Global War on Terror

The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Lance Corporal Joseph B. Perez, United States Marine Corps, for extraordinary heroism as Rifleman, Company I, Third Battalion, Fifth Marines, FIRST Marine Division, First Marine Expeditionary Force, in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM, on 4 April 2003. While clearing near Route 6 during the advance into Baghdad, 1st Platoon came under intense enemy fire. As the point man for the lead squad and the most exposed member of the platoon, Lance Corporal Perez came under the majority of these fires. Without hesitation, he continuously employed his M16A4 rifle to destroy the enemy while calmly directing accurate fires for his squad. He led the charge down a trench destroying the enemy and while closing and under tremendous enemy fire, threw a grenade into a trench that the enemy was occupying. While under a heavy volume of fire. Lance Corporal Perez fired an AT-4 rocket into a machine gun bunker, completely destroying it and killing four enemy personnel. His actions enabled the squad to maneuver safely to the enemy position and seize it. In an effort to link up with 3d Platoon on his platoon's left flank, Lance Corporal Perez continued to destroy enemy combatants with precision rifle fire. As he worked his way to the left, he was hit by enemy fire, sustaining gunshot wounds' to his torso and shoulder. Despite being seriously injured, Lance Corporal Perez directed the squad to take cover and gave the squad accurate fire direction to the enemy that enabled the squad to reorganize and destroy the enemy. By his outstanding display of decisive leadership, unlimited courage in the face of heavy enemy fire, and utmost devotion to duty, Lance Corporal Perez reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service.

Service: Marine Corps

Rank: Lance Corporal

[bobdina]

On April 4, 2003, U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Joseph Perez took charge of a battle in the Iraqi desert and won.

He raked enemy positions with rifle fire, led a charge into a trench bristling with Iraqi fighters and obliterated a machine-gun bunker with a rocket. Wounded by gunfire in the back and shoulder, he directed other Marines to shoot at the Iraqi positions.

For his heroism, the 23-year-old from Houston was awarded the Navy Cross, the Navy's second-highest medal....

...

Perez, a rifleman, was the point man for a Marine platoon assigned to clear areas near Highway 6 south of Baghdad when Iraqi fighters opened fire on the Marines with machine guns and other weapons.

Ahead of his unit, Perez drew much of the fire but didn't back down, according to the citation awarding him the medal. He attacked the Iraqi positions with rifle fire and directed other Marines to do the same. He heaved a grenade into an enemy trench and stormed it, firing his rifle at Iraqi fighters as he ran.

Under heavy fire from the Iraqis, Perez destroyed a machine-gun nest, killing four Iraqi fighters and allowing his unit to capture the position.

As his unit fought forward to join another Marine unit, Perez was wounded. Despite his wounds, he directed his unit to take cover and to fire into the Iraqi positions, helping his platoon overwhelm them.

[nastyleg]

Way to lead from the front Marine.