 One of the Baghdad neighborhoods covered by Sergeant Ezequiel Mora’s patrol in May of 2007 was Hurriyah, a hotbed of militia activity. While passing through Hurriyah, Mora’s four Humvee convoy was attacked. An explosively formed penetrator, the most lethal type of roadside bomb, went off just as insurgents fired on the convoy with small arms. The EFP had caused catastrophic damage to the vehicle in the rear of the column, which had the platoon medic and convoy commander in it. He directed his vehicle to be turned around to the disabled and burning Humvee. Ignoring the heavy volume of hostile fire, he leapt out to assist the trapped soldiers. He bravely attempted to rescue the gunner of the Humvee, though temporarily overcome by smoke inhalation he recovered and joined another soldier in continuing the rescue. While doing so, he noticed the platoon’s medic on the ground, badly wounded and Mora immediately began administering first aid. Once another soldier relieved him, Mora moved to the other side of the Humvee to cover his fellow soldiers. It was then that he noticed that the gunner from the Humvee was finally free, but was bleeding heavily from his left leg. Mora swiftly applied a tourniquet to the leg to stop the bleeding. Realizing that they were in an exposed position, Mora and another sergeant took turns carrying the wounded gunner to safety, all while under fire from the insurgents. When reinforcements arrived, Mora helped to successfully evacuate the gunner to the Green Zone for medical care. Because of his courageous actions and steadfast determination, Sergeant Ezequiel Mora helped save the lives of several of his fellow soldiers and as a result, was awarded the Bronze Star with Valor. [Go here to find a link to a recent ABC interview with the Sgt.] |
Thank you for your service, Sergeant Mora.
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