I’ve been hacking around for the past few days, and will be today as well. So I don’t have as much time as I would like to put together a proper post.
Instead, I’m going to refer you to two outside sources.
Heather King (who is a great writer) did a “Credible Witnesses” piece in this month’s Magnificat about Michael Anthony Monsoor. I can’t find it online, so instead I’m going to quote from his Congressional Medal of Honor citation.
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty 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 SEAL and Iraqi army sniper over-watch element, tasked with providing early warning and stand-off protection from a rooftop in an insurgent held sector of Ar Ramadi, Iraq, Petty Officer Monsoor 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 element’s position. Element snipers 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 Monsoor took position with his machine gun between two teammates on an outcropping of the roof. While the SEALs vigilantly watched for enemy activity, an insurgent threw a hand grenade from an unseen location, which bounced off Petty Officer Monsoor’s chest and landed in front of him. Although only he could have escaped the blast, Petty Officer Monsoor 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 Monsoor gallantly gave his life for his country, thereby reflecting great credit upon himself and upholding the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.
The award was posthumous.
UPS Flight 2976 was flying from Muhammad Ali International Airport to Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Hawaii. I’m kind of cynical about naming things after people, but if there are two people who deserve to have an airport named after them, it is probably Ali and Inouye.
I don’t know if most people remember Daniel Inouye. He was a long-time senator from Hawaii (until he died in 2012). Yes, he was a Democrat. But the man had cojones like you wouldn’t believe.
He was in the 442nd Infantry Regiment during WWII. You may remember the 442nd Infantry Regiment as “the guys who were of Japanese ancestry and decided to fight for the United States anyway”.
Nearly a century later, “the “Remember Pearl Harbor” 100th Infantry Battalion, and the “Go For Broke” 442d Regimental Combat Team is still the most decorated unit in U.S. military history. Members of this World War II unit earned over 18,000 individual decorations including over 4,000 Purple Hearts, and 21 Medals of Honor. The Combat Team earned five Presidential Citations in 20 days of Rhineland fighting, the only military unit ever to claim that achievement. General of the Army George C. Marshall praised the team saying, “they were superb: the men of the 100/442d… showed rare courage and tremendous fighting spirit… everybody wanted them.” General Mark W. Clark (Fifth Army) said, “these are some the best… fighters in the U.S. Army. If you have more, send them over.”
He was leading an assault in Italy on April 21, 1945. From his Congressional Medal of Honor citation:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Second Lieutenant Daniel K. Inouye distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in action on 21 April 1945, in the vicinity of San Terenzo, Italy. While attacking a defended ridge guarding an important road junction, Second Lieutenant Inouye skillfully directed his platoon through a hail of automatic weapon and small arms fire, in a swift enveloping movement that resulted in the capture of an artillery and mortar post and brought his men to within 40 yards of the hostile force. Emplaced in bunkers and rock formations, the enemy halted the advance with crossfire from three machine guns. With complete disregard for his personal safety, Second Lieutenant Inouye crawled up the treacherous slope to within five yards of the nearest machine gun and hurled two grenades, destroying the emplacement. Before the enemy could retaliate, he stood up and neutralized a second machine gun nest. Although wounded by a sniper’s bullet, he continued to engage other hostile positions at close range until an exploding grenade shattered his right arm. Despite the intense pain, he refused evacuation and continued to direct his platoon until enemy resistance was broken and his men were again deployed in defensive positions. In the attack, 25 enemy soldiers were killed and eight others captured. By his gallant, aggressive tactics and by his indomitable leadership, Second Lieutenant Inouye enabled his platoon to advance through formidable resistance, and was instrumental in the capture of the ridge. Second Lieutenant Inouye’s extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit on him, his unit, and the United States Army.
Wikipedia describes his right arm as being blown mostly off at the elbow: the rifle grenade didn’t explode, but the impact resulted in a blunt force amputation. Wikipedia further describes Lt. Inouye seeing his arm lying on the ground…with a live hand grenade clenched in it.
So what did he do? He waved the men off who were coming to help him, because he was afraid his hand was going to unclench at any moment. Then he pried the live grenade out of his right hand with his left and threw it into a German bunker.
Stumbling to his feet, Inouye continued forward, killing at least one more German before sustaining his fifth and final wound of the day in his left leg. Inouye fell unconscious, and awoke to see the worried men of his platoon hovering over him. His only comment before being carried away was to gruffly order them back to their positions, saying “Nobody called off the war!” By the end of the day, the ridge had fallen to American control, without the loss of any soldiers in Inouye’s platoon. The remainder of Inouye’s mutilated right arm was later amputated at a field hospital without proper anesthesia, as he had been given too much morphine at an aid station and it was feared any more would lower his blood pressure enough to kill him.
He and Bob Dole met in a rehab hospital after the war and were lifelong friends.
Sen. Inouye was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor on June 21, 2000, along with 19 other members of the 442nd.
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