This SHOULD be front-page news...

[Spartan198]

PO2 (MA2) Mike Monsoor, a Navy EOD Technician, was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor posthumously for jumping on a grenade in Iraq, giving his life to save his fellow SEALs.

During Mike Monsoor's funeral in San Diego, as his coffin was being moved from the hearse to the grave site at Ft. Rosecrans National Cemetery, SEALs were lined up on both sides of the pallbearers route forming a column of twos, with the coffin moving up the center. As Mike's coffin passed, each SEAL, having removed his gold Trident from his uniform, slapped it down embedding the Trident in the wooden coffin.



This should be front-page news on every newspaper in the United States, but it won't be because the media is unwilling to tell the American people about heroes like PO2 Monsoor. They fail to remember that men and women like this man risk everything for their right to report on anything at all.

Therefor, I've decided to make this news on every website I frequent because America is never told of the sacrifices of those brave men and women in combat. This thread is NOT, I repeat, NOT about whether the Iraq War is right or wrong, it's not about George Bush, etc., so please don't start that garbage. This thread is about PO2 Monsoor.

The golden Trident symbolizes what it means to be a SEAL. Hard work, determination, heart, and a sense of duty to your family and country. This man has truly earned his Trident by giving his life to save the lives of his fellow SEALs.

Thank you, PO2 Monsoor. You are a full-blown hero, and I will never forget your name.

Note: This isn't a Backroom-chat topic, which is why it's here in the Frontroom. Again, no political discussions, please.

[Reverend Joe]

Backroom.

I guarantee you won't get a warning for this. That's just silly.

[Martok]

Interesting. I'd read part of Mike Monsoor's story (about jumping on the grenade to save his fellows), but I'd not heard about this. Very cool.

[spmetla]

R.I.P. brother!

[{BHC}HolySpagetty]

You know, this is how I am going to die.

Not by jumping on a grenade, but in another way of dieing for someone else.

I fell too strongly about others to let them die.

I truthfully think in a situation like that, I would probably not jump on it, but instead push them further away from it.

And if it was my family, I'd not only jump on it, I'd swallow it lol..

But really, this guy is my hero.

[Kekvit Irae]

Selflessly sacrificing his own life without a second though for the safety of others. THAT, my friends, is the mark of a true hero.

[Pannonian]

Apparently booby traps don't count as "in the face of the enemy".

[KukriKhan]

Apparently booby traps don't count as "in the face of the enemy".

But Lance Cpl Matthew Croucher, 24, who was serving with Norton Manor Camp-based 40 Commando at the time, was slightly upset to miss out on a Victoria Cross at the same time.

As the Queen pinned the medal on his tunic during the ceremony in Buckingham Palace his girlfriend, Victoria Cross, was thousands of miles away in Australia studying as part of her university course.

Now, that's funny. There might be a woman named "Purple Heart" here in California, but even here in strange-name-land I don't think we'd ever see a Ms. Bronze Star, or Miss Congressional M. Honor.

On-topic: so I guess the VC is for "conspicuous....in the face of the enemy..."?

[Tribesman]

On-topic: so I guess the VC is for "conspicuous....in the face of the enemy..."?

Yep the GC was introduced early in WW2 as the equivalent of the VC but for when you are not in direct enemy fire .

[KukriKhan]

Yep the GC was introduced early in WW2 as the equivalent of the VC but for when you are not in direct enemy fire .

Check. Day is just dawning over here, and I've already learned something new. Maybe I should knock off for the rest of the day? :)

[CountArach]

This should be front-page news on every newspaper in the United States, but it won't be because the media is unwilling to tell the American people about heroes like PO2 Monsoor. They fail to remember that men and women like this man risk everything for their right to report on anything at all.

If you believe the US Media is not 110% Nationalistic you are delusional.

He was an absolute hero and deserves this medal.

[LittleGrizzly]

This guy is deserving of all the respect in the world, he is the best of humanity, my hero!

[HoreTore]

Uhm.... You want this story on the front page? Do you hate him, or something?

Seriously, you want someone/something you admire on a front page next to "CELEBRITY: I was NARCOTICS-JAILED after BOOB-SEX!"*....?

*actual front page story I saw a few days ago...

[Tribesman]

This should be front-page news on every newspaper in the United States

Why ?

but it won't be because the media is unwilling to tell the American people about heroes like PO2 Monsoor.

No , all the nationals and many of the locals covered the story so they were not unwilling to tell the story .
So why should it be front page news ?

[KukriKhan]

This item has been making the email rounds since this past summer (I received it 3 times myself).

A few details bear clearing-up:

-M. Monsoor DID die in Iraq, smothering a live grenade, 29 September 2006
-he WAS buried at Fort Rosecrans Nat'l Cemetery, here in San Diego 12 October 2006
-his funeral WAS attended by fellow SEAL's, who slapped their Trident insignia on the casket
-he WAS awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his actions, in April 2008

-his actual rank WAS NOT "EOD2", but MA2
-The photo of the Trident-encrusted casket WAS NOT Monsoor's, but that of James Suh, another SEAL buried July 2005 at LA's Forest Lawn Cemetery, also attended by fellow SEAL's and many others.
-Attaching Tridents to the caskets of fallen SEAL's is a long-standing SEAL tradition
-Fox News, Navy Times, The LA Times and others, DID report the grenade-smothering incident, and the award of the CMH. The incident was also noted here in the backroom.

None of which can possibly add or subtract from the significance of Monsoor's sacrifice. Rest In Peace, Brother.

Just wanted to set the record straight, before the arguments continue.

[yesdachi]

Gary Sinise narrated a piece on him during the republican national conference. It was touching.

Kurki’s right, that image is not of Monsoor’s coffin, his had way more tridents.

You tube link

[Kralizec]

Rest in peace.