Sunday, August 30, 2009

Every Day Hero

First Lieutenant Travis L. Manion

Meet 1st Sgt Donnie Brazeal:

It's hard to imagine a man jumping on top of parapets to draw enemy rocket, grenade, and machine gun fire away from his buddies. But Marine 1stSgt Donnie Brazeal did just that in April, 2005 during what many say was one of the largest fire fights of the Iraq War.

Brazeal, now retired after serving 23 years in the Marine Corps, served four back-to-back deployments. One of his last deployments was to Iraq from January to September of 2005.

While the attacks were endless, one stands out from all the rest; insurgents hit Brazeal’s company, stationed at a combat outpost, on the morning of April 11, 2005. Brazeal said his reason for risking life and limb on that day was simple.

"Those are my sons," he said, pointing to a group of sergeants and corporals who attended his award ceremony at the Naval Academy on January 27, 2007. "I was bringing young Marines home. We fought every day, and they (young sergeants and corporals from his unit) are the real heroes."

"My father taught me never to run away from a fight, and my mother taught me to help my fellow man," said Brazeal, who was raised in Council Bluffs, Iowa...


There IS more, and you can read it all here.

Thank you for your service, Sir!

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