American Valor Quarterly Issue 5 - Winter 2008/09 | Page 37

was the gunner for my Humvee crew. He proved to be a good Right then, Ross leaned on the grenade, putting his back up against
shot, knocking down targets left and right during some pretty it. When it detonated, his body shielded the rest of us from the
tough training in the middle of December.
blast. I got out of the vehicle, not knowing that Ross had been
KIA. The rest of the patrol kept moving – they didn’t know
We subsequently deployed to northeast Baghdad. Our sector was what happened. They thought it was a normal day. We were shot
the last place that anybody had seen Saddam Hussein before he at and had grenades thrown at us every day. I got out and started
disappeared following the invasion. He had given a speech at the to engage the enemy.
Abu Hanifa mosque, which is one of the most prominent Sunni
mosques in Baghdad. It was also the red-light district of Baghdad, Meanwhile, the patrol realized what was going on and stopped,
full of thugs, drug dealers, gangsters, and foreign fighters.
turning around to lend support to the situation. Once we got
loaded up and to the aid station, that is when I knew that is when
December 4, 2006. We had just finished our last three-hour patrol I knew that Ross had passed away, saving the lives of me and
of the day. It was just before sunset when the company three other Soldiers. Without his sacrifice, I would not be here
commander came running out to us. “Sgt. Thomas,” he said, today.
“You guys are still fresh. We need you to go look at a generator
for this neighborhood.”
The family of Ross McGinnis was presented the Medal of Honor
by President Bush on June 2, 2008.
“Alright, sir,” I responded, and I
got my platoon together, and
Michael A. Monsoor
rolled our six-vehicle patrol out
the gate approximately 1,000
Officer Candidate (SEAL) Tom
meters from our command
DeShazo, USN: I first met Mike
outpost. We turned into the
Monsoor in BUDS (Basic
neighborhood, where the streets
Underwater Demolition/SEAL)
were lined with houses two and
Class 250, which we graduated
three stories high. My vehicle was
from together. We then attended
the last one in the patrol.
SQT (Seal Qualification Training)
together, and went on to serve
Almost immediately after we
with SEAL Team THREE in the
made the turn, Ross stood up and
same platoon, Delta Platoon.
grabbed his .50 cal. I did not pay
much attention until I heard a
Mike was from Garden Grove,
“tink” from our radio mount.
California. He has quite a large
Master at Arms Second Class (SEAL) Michael A. Monsoor
family there. His father was a
United States Navy.
Ross said, “Oh shit!”
Marine and his brother was a
Marine. His father was a crew chief on a helicopter in Vietnam,
“What?” I replied.
seeing quite a bit of combat. Mike was a professional enlisted
man to the core, which I think was really instilled from the lessons
“A grenade!” He said back to me.
he learned from his father and brother.
”What?” I said again.

AMERICAN VALOR QUARTERLY - Winter 2008/09 - 37

U.S. Navy Photo

Mike’s Medal of Honor citation tells of his tremendous sacrifice.
What you do not get from it, though, is everything that happened
“Yeah, it’s in the truck.”
before that one incident, and what kind of a person he was. We
went on 34 significant operations over a six-month period. There
In a situation like this, you instinctively go into a protective posture. were more than 80 combat operations, and we took contact on
There was only about one to two seconds for everybody to try about 80 percent of those. I was on every one of these with
to get out. I had a full vehicle that day, so there was a total of five Mike.
of us in the Humvee – there was no way we were all getting out.
The Second Battle of Ramadi was taking place when we were
Ross stood up as if he were swatting the grenade away. In this operating there in mid-2006. All missions were essentially joint
vehicle, we all wore headsets, so we all knew what was going on missions with the Army, Marine Corps, and Air Force. These
and what each person was doing in the field. My medic sat behind were not traditional SEAL operations, as we were basically
me, with Ross on the .50 cal. I had a driver and a dismount.
working as combat advisors to the Iraqi Army. Three of us,
sometimes with another guy or two, worked with 50-100 Iraqi
soldiers doing search operations in Ramadi.