Rafael Peralta
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| Rafael Peralta | |
|---|---|
| April 7, 1979 – November 15, 2004 | |
 Sgt. Rafael Peralta |
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| Place of birth | Mexico |
| Place of death | Killed in action in Fallujah, Iraq |
| Allegiance | USMC |
| Years of service | 2000-2004 |
| Rank | Sergeant |
| Unit | 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines |
| Battles/wars | Operation Iraqi Freedom * Operation Phantom Fury |
| Awards | Purple Heart |
Sergeant Rafael Peralta (April 7, 1979 – November 15, 2004) was a United States Marine who was killed in Iraq in 2004 during Operation Phantom Fury in the city of Fallujah. Peralta is under consideration to receive the Medal of Honor.
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[edit] Personal history
Rafael Peralta was born on April 7, 1980 in Mexico. He immigrated to the United States and joined the United States Marine Corps as soon as he had a green card. He later became an American citizen while serving in the Marine Corps.
According to accounts, Peralta served the United States with enthusiasm and patriotism: "In his parent's home, on his bedroom walls hung only three items - a copy of the United States Constitution, the Bill of Rights and his boot camp graduation certificate. Before he set out for Fallujah, he wrote to his 14-year old brother, 'be proud of me, bro...and be proud of being an American.'" [1]
[edit] Killed in action
On November 15, 2004, 25 year old Sgt. Peralta, deployed to Iraq as a scout team leader assigned to Company A, 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, along with his team was ordered to clear houses in the Operation Phantom Fury. Peralta was not assigned to enter the buildings, but chose to do so anyway.
Sergeant Peralta led his team through a series of house clearings before charging into the fourth house. He found two rooms empty on the ground floor. Peralta opened a third door and was hit multiple times with AK-47 fire, leaving him severely wounded. He dropped to the floor and moved aside in order to allow the Marines behind him to return fire.
The insurgents responded by throwing a grenade at the Marines. The two Marines with Sgt. Peralta tried to get out of the room but could not. Sgt. Peralta was still conscious on the floor and despite his wounds was able to reach for the grenade and pull it under his body before it exploded.
When the grenade exploded, Sgt. Peralta was killed instantly and one of the other Marines was critically wounded. However, both of Sgt. Peralta's fellow Marines survived because Peralta had absorbed the majority of the lethal blast and shrapnel.
In December 2004, U.S. Congressman Bob Filner of California introduced legislation to award Sgt. Peralta the Medal of Honor. (Fernandez, Chapter 1)
[edit] Decorations and awards
- Purple Heart
- Combat Action Ribbon
- National Defense Service Medal
- Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
- Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
- Iraqi Campaign Medal
- Sea Service Deployment Ribbon
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes
- ^ North, Oliver (2004-12-16). Hero in Fallujah: Marine Laid Himself on Top of Grenade to Save Rest of Squad. HumanEvents.com. Retrieved on 2006-05-30.
[edit] References
- Fernandez, Virgil (2006). Marine Sgt. Rafael Peralta. Hispanic Military Heroes. Retrieved on 2006-07-12.
- Trowbridge, Gordon. "Marine sacrifices his life for others in grenade blast", The Seattle Times, November 20, 2004. Retrieved on 2006-07-12.
