Fallen Marine may be awarded Medal of Honor

Fighting in Iraq in November 2004, Marine Sgt. Rafael Peralta had already been shot in the head, but when a grenade landed near him, he covered it with his body. Peralta’s action cost him his life, but he shielded his comrades from the blast, saving numerous lives.

Scores of Marines and soldiers in previous conflicts have done the same – and were awarded the Medal of Honor. The Marine Corps put Peralta in for the decoration, but the Secretary of Defense determined that he was only deserving of the Navy Cross, the nation’s second-highest award for valor.

But new evidence has surfaced that may convince the chain of command that the fallen hero is worthy of the nation’s highest award for valor. From the Los Angeles Times:

The group [San Diego congressional delegation and both U.S. senators from California seeking to upgrade Peralta’s medal] cites video recently released by the History Channel that shows Peralta’s body being removed from the house. The video, taken by a filmmaker who was following Marines during the battle, does not show the kind of leg wounds that would likely be present if the grenade, as the pathologist concluded, had exploded near Peralta’s leg instead of underneath his body as the Marines insisted.

Also being submitted is a review of the autopsy and other clinical evidence done by Dr. Vincent Di Maio, a forensic pathologist from San Antonio. He backs the conclusion of the neurosurgeons from the Naval Medical Center San Diego that Peralta was not immediately incapacitated by the head wound.

Click here to view Peralta’s Navy Cross citation.