Heroes

The media harps on the stories about a few abused Iraqis. They demand apologies from President Bush and his staff. When they get those apologies, they demand for the resignation of senior staff members.

They do not demand apoligies for Americans brutally murdered by terrorists. They also ignore the heroes of the war, like Capt. Brian Chontosh, USMC.

Last week, Capt. Chontosh received the Navy Cross – the second highest award for extraordinary herosim behind the medal of honor – for actions in combat from March of last year.

Capt. Chontosh was leading his platoon on Highway 1 in Iraq when they drove into an ambush. Capt. Chontosh ordered the driver of the Humvee he was in to drive toward a entrenched enemy machine gun. Capt Chontosh ordered his machine gunner to return fire. When the enemy machine gun was disabled, Capt. Chontosh ordered his driver to drive into the trench the rest of the ambushers were fighting from. The driver did and Capt. Chontosh got out of the Humvee with his M16 and his 9mm pistol.

Capt. Chontosh then began to clear the trench. He fired until his M16 ran out of ammunition. Then he used his 9mm pistol until it ran out of ammunition. He then picked up an AK-47 from a dead Iraqi. When that ran out of ammunition, he picked up another Ak-47 from another dead attacker. One of his troops found a discarded rockect propelled grenade which Capt. Chontosh used to kill more enemy fighters.

In the end, Capt. Chonotosh killed 20 attackers and wounded many more and cleared 200 meters of the enemy trench.

Marine Corps and American heroism at its finest. Why can’t we hear more about that?