- Dakota Meyer
-
Dakota L. Meyer 
Sergeant Dakota L. MeyerBorn June 26, 1988
Greensburg, KentuckyAllegiance United States Service/branch United States Marine Corps Years of service 2006–2010 Rank Sergeant[1] Unit Embedded Training Team 2-8 Battles/wars Iraq War
War in Afghanistan
• Battle of GanjgalAwards Medal of Honor
Purple Heart
Navy Commendation Medal
Navy Achievement Medal
Combat Action RibbonDakota L. Meyer (born June 26, 1988) is a United States Marine Corps veteran and recipient of the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Battle of Ganjgal on September 8, 2009, part of Operation Enduring Freedom in Kunar province, Afghanistan. He is the third living recipient of the Medal of Honor since the Vietnam War, and the first living United States Marine in 41 years to be so honored.
Contents
Biography
Meyer was born June 26, 1988 in Columbia, Kentucky where he grew up and attended school.[2] In 2006, after graduation from Green County High School, he enlisted in the Marine Corps at a recruiting station in Louisville, Kentucky and was sent to Recruit training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island.[2] After completing training to be a United States Marine he deployed to Fallujah, Iraq, in 2007 as a Scout Sniper with 3rd Battalion 3rd Marines. He gained national attention for his actions in Afghanistan during his second deployment in Kunar province with Embedded Training Team 2-8.[3][4]
On September 8, 2009, near the village of Ganjgal, Meyer learned that three U.S. Marines and a U.S. Navy corpsman were missing after being ambushed by a group of insurgents. He charged into an area known to be inhabited by insurgents and under enemy fire. Meyer eventually found all four dead and stripped of their weapons, body armor, and radios.[5] With the help of some friendly Afghan soldiers, he moved the bodies to a safer area where they could be extracted.[6] During his search, Meyer "personally evacuated 12 friendly wounded, and provided cover for another 24 Marines and soldiers to escape likely death at the hands of a numerically superior and determined foe."
President Obama and the audience applaud after Dakota Meyer was awarded the Medal of Honor during a ceremony in the White House on September 15, 2011
On November 6, 2010, the Commandant of the Marine Corps General James Amos told reporters during a visit to Camp Pendleton, California, that a living Marine had been nominated for the Medal of Honor. Two days later, Marine Corps Times, an independent newspaper covering U.S. Marine operations, reported that the unnamed individual was Meyer, citing anonymous sources. CNN confirmed the story independently two days later.[7][8]
On June 9, 2011, the Marine Corps announced that two other Marines on Meyer's team in Ganjgal would receive the Navy Cross, the second-highest award for valor a Marine can receive. Capt. Ademola D. Fabayo and Staff Sgt. Juan J. Rodriguez-Chavez were recognized for their roles in retrieving the Marines and corpsman. Before Meyer went looking for the missing men on foot, Rodriguez-Chavez drove a gun truck into the kill zone, with Fabayo manning its machine gun.[9]
When President Barack Obama's staff called Meyer to set up a time for the President to inform him that his case for the Medal of Honor had been approved, Meyer was working at his construction job and asked if they could please call him back when he was on his lunch break, which they later did. Dakota then returned to work.[10]
Meyer was awarded the Medal of Honor in a ceremony on September 15, 2011.[11][1] When a White House staffer contacted Meyer to arrange the ceremony, the former Marine asked if he could have a beer with the President.[12] He then received an invitation to the White House the afternoon before the ceremony. Meyer also requested that when he was honored, simultaneous commemorative services should be held at other associated locations to honor the memory of his colleagues who died or were mortally wounded during the ambush and his rescue attempts.[13]
Four Americans died in the ambush: 1st Lt. Michael Johnson, a 25-year-old from Virginia Beach; Staff Sgt. Aaron Kenefick, 30, of Roswell, Ga.; Hospital Corpsman Third Class James R. Layton, 22, of Riverbank, Calif.; and Edwin Wayne Johnson Jr., a 31-year-old Gunnery Sergeant from Columbus, Ga. A fifth man, Army Sgt. 1st Class Kenneth W. Westbrook, 41, of Shiprock, N.M., later died from his wounds.[14]
Honors and awards
Military awards
Medal of Honor Purple Heart Medal Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal w/ V device Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal Combat Action Ribbon Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal National Defense Service Medal Afghanistan Campaign Medal w/2 campaign stars Iraq Campaign Medal w/ campaign star Global War On Terrorism Service Medal Sea Service Deployment Ribbon NATO Service Medal (ISAF) Expert marksmanship badge for rifle (3rd award) Expert marksmanship badge for pistol (2nd award) Medal of Honor citation
"The President of the United States in the name of The Congress takes pleasure in presenting the MEDAL OF HONOR to
CORPORAL DAKOTA L. MEYER
UNITED STATES MARINE CORPSFor service as set forth in the following
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the repeated risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as a member of Marine Embedded Training Team 2-8, Regional Corps Advisory Command 3-7, in Kunar Province, Afghanistan, on 8 September 2009. When the forward element of his combat team began to be hit by intense fire from roughly 50 Taliban insurgents dug-in and concealed on the slopes above Ganjgal village, Corporal Meyer mounted a gun-truck, enlisted a fellow Marine to drive, and raced to attack the ambushers and aid the trapped Marines and Afghan soldiers. During a six hour fire fight, Corporal Meyer single-handedly turned the tide of the battle, saved 36 Marines and soldiers and recovered the bodies of his fallen brothers. Four separate times he fought the kilometer up into the heart of a deadly U-shaped ambush. During the fight he killed at least eight Taliban, personally evacuated 12 friendly wounded, and provided cover for another 24 Marines and soldiers to escape likely death at the hands of a numerically superior and determined foe. On his first foray his lone vehicle drew machine gun, mortar, rocket grenade and small arms fire while he rescued five wounded soldiers. His second attack disrupted the enemy’s ambush and he evacuated four more wounded Marines. Switching to another gun-truck because his was too damaged they again sped in for a third time, and as turret gunner killed several Taliban attackers at point blank range and suppressed enemy fire so 24 Marines and soldiers could break-out. Despite being wounded, he made a fourth attack with three others to search for missing team members. Nearly surrounded and under heavy fire he dismounted the vehicle and searched house to house to recover the bodies of his fallen team members. By his extraordinary heroism, presence of mind amidst chaos and death, and unselfish devotion to his comrades in the face of great danger, Corporal Meyer reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service.[15]
See also
- Leroy Petry
- Salvatore Giunta
- List of Medal of Honor recipients
- List of living Medal of Honor recipients
References
- ^ a b "Marine to receive Medal of Honor next month". CNN. August 12, 2011. http://www.cnn.com/2011/POLITICS/08/12/obama.medal.of.honor/index.html. Retrieved August 13, 2011.
- ^ a b "Sgt. Dakota L. Meyer, USMC: Profile". United States Marine Corps. http://www.marines.mil/community/Pages/MedalofHonorSgtDakotaMeyer-Profile.aspx. Retrieved September 19, 2011.
- ^ Lamothe, Dan (November 23, 2010). "MoH nominee says he does not feel like a hero". Marine Corps Times. http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2010/11/marine-dakota-meyer-medal-of-honor-113010/. Retrieved 15 August 2011.
- ^ Estep, Bill, "Adair Native To Receive Medal Of Honor For 'Worst Day' Of His Life", Lexington Herald-Leader, 13 September 2011, p. 1.
- ^ Lamothe, Dan (November 8, 2010). "Heroism in ambush may yield top valor awards". Marine Corps Times. http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2010/08/marine_moh_080110w/. Retrieved November 15, 2010.
- ^ Cole, William, "Reluctant Hero And The Weight Of A Medal", Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 28 July 2011.
- ^ Lamothe, Dan (November 10, 2010). "Ambush survivor up for Medal of Honor". Marine Corps Times. http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2010/11/marine-corporal-dakota-meyer-nominated-for-medal-of-honor-110810w/. Retrieved November 15, 2010.
- ^ Lamothe, Dan (November 15, 2010). "Behind the Cover: An exclusive interview with Dakota Meyer, Medal of Honor nominee". Marine Corps Times. http://militarytimes.com/blogs/battle-rattle/2010/11/15/behind-the-cover-an-exclusive-interview-with-dakota-meyer-medal-of-honor-nominee//. Retrieved November 15, 2010.
- ^ Lamothe, Dan (June 9, 2011). "Marines earn Navy Cross for Ganjgal heroism". Marine Corps Times. http://marinecorpstimes.com/news/2011/06/marine-ganjgal-afghanistan-navy-cross-060911w/. Retrieved June 9, 2011.
- ^ Memoli, Michael A. (September 15, 2011). "Obama awards Medal of Honor to Kentucky Marine". Los Angeles Times. http://articles.latimes.com/2011/sep/15/news/la-pn-medal-of-honor-20110915. Retrieved September 19, 2011.
- ^ "Obama to Present Marine With Medal of Honor in September, White House Announces". Fox News. August 12, 2011. http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/08/12/obama-to-present-marine-with-medal-honor-in-september-white-house-announces/. Retrieved August 12, 2011.
- ^ http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2011/09/sgt-dakota-meyer-grabs-a-beer-with-president-obama/
- ^ Dylan Lovan (September 14, 2011). "Ex-Marine honored for saving 36 in Afghanistan". Associated Press. http://www.pjstar.com/free/x371957547/Ex-Marine-honored-for-saving-36-in-Afghanistan.
- ^ "Defying Orders, Hero Marine Saved Other Troops". National Public Radio. September 15, 2011. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=140485998. Retrieved September 19, 2011.
- ^ "Citation". Medal of Honor Sgt Dakota Meyer. United States Marine Corps. http://www.marines.mil/community/Pages/MedalofHonorSgtDakotaMeyer-Citation.aspx. Retrieved 15 August 2011.
External links
- "Dakota Meyer". Hall of Valor. Military Times. http://www.militarytimes.com/citations-medals-awards/recipient.php?recipientid=3957. Retrieved September 19, 2011.
- Lamothe, Dan (February 11, 2011). "Reprimands issued for troubled mission". Marine Corps Times. http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2011/02/marine-ganjgal-reprimand-army-021411w/. Retrieved February 20, 2011.
- Marine Cpl. Dakota Meyer Confirmed for Medal of Honor
- Sergeant Dakota Meyer Shadow Box from togetherweserved.com
Categories:- 1988 births
- Living people
- United States Marines
- American military personnel of the War in Afghanistan (2001–present)
- American military personnel of the Iraq War
- People from Adair County, Kentucky
- People from Green County, Kentucky
- Marine Corps Medal of Honor recipients
- Recipients of the Purple Heart medal
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