Sgt. Rafael Peralta
is was an Awesome People™.
Born in Mexico City, he enlisted in the USMC
the day he got his Green Card.
Quote:
During a combat tour supporting Operation Al Fajr in the city of Fallujah, Iraq, he was shot and mortally wounded. As his squad fired at the insurgents around him, an enemy grenade was thrown into their midst; it came to rest near Peralta’s head.
From his Navy Cross citation:
“Without hesitation and with complete disregard for his own personal safety, Sgt. Peralta reached out and pulled the grenade to his body, absorbing the brunt of the blast and shielding fellow Marines only feet away. Sgt. Peralta succumbed to his wounds. By his undaunted courage, intrepid fighting spirit, and unwavering devotion to duty, Sgt. Peralta reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service.”
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He was awarded the Navy Cross, the Purple Heart, and the Combat Action Ribbon.
Oh, and his actions are also commemorated by the commissioning of the
USS Rafael Peralta, an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer.
Link (hour+ long vid of the commissioning of the ship at the link)