Truth, Lies and In Between

Outstanding. That’s all that really needs to be said. This young Marine certainly deserves the award. Read it all:

Battle-injured Afghanistan Veteran Receives Navy Cross

Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, CA – (04/02/09)

“Sorry, guys, I can’t keep going.”

Those were the words of Lance Cpl. Brady A. Gustafson to the Marines in his vehicle as he was pulled away from his smoking machine gun minutes after his platoon was ambushed July 21, 2008, by withering enemy fire in Shewan, Afghanistan.

Nobody blamed Gustafson, 21, an infantryman with 2nd Platoon, Company G, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, for not being able to continue the fight, since the opening volley on the Marine mounted patrol included a rocket-propelled grenade that pierced the shell of the mine-resistant armor-protected vehicle in which Gustafson was manning the turret gun.

That RPG severed Gustafson’s right leg, and yet he had the presence of mind to locate the enemy positions and place well-aimed machine gun fire on them, providing cover fire for the Marines in his platoon.

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