Fellow Marines Appeal To Obama For Peralta MoH

[livvy]

Sgt. Rafael Peralta, 25, died during the Battle of Fallujah in 2004. He was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross, the Marine Corps' second-highest honor for valor.

Fellow Marines Appeal To Obama For Peralta MoH

The Associated Press
Posted : Tuesday Dec 30, 2008 15:23:29 EST

HONOLULU — Fellow Marines will appeal to President-elect Barack Obama to award the Medal of Honor to a Hawaii-based Marine who witnesses say threw himself on a grenade to save his colleagues during combat in Iraq.

But they may struggle to get the nation’s highest military honor for Kaneohe Marine Sgt. Rafael Peralta.

Peralta has already been denied the Medal of Honor after Defense Secretary Robert Gates recommended he be awarded the Navy Cross, the second-highest combat honor.

Former Marine Robert Reynolds says Peralta saved his life and those of four other Marines during the battle for Fallujah in 2004.

A group of five independent experts reviewed the forensic evidence and unanimously found they couldn’t be sure Peralta acted deliberately.



http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2008/12/ap_peralta_moh_123008/%2e

Reading this short piece and looking at his young, handsome, and sincere face, for some reason really hit me hard this morning. I don't know why this young man in particular...there are so many. But it made me think of this song, and I wanted to post the words.

Oh Very Young
Cat Stevens

Oh very young
What will you leave us this time
You're only dancing on this earth for a short while
And though your dreams may toss and turn you now
They will vanish away like your daddys best jeans
Denim Blue fading up to the sky
And though you want him to last forever
You know he never will
(You know he never will )
And the patches make the goodbye harder still

Oh very young
What will you leave us this time
Therell never be a better chance to change your mind
And if you want this world to see a better day
Will you carry the words of love with you
Will you ride the great white bird into heaven
And though you want to last forever
You know you never will
(You know you never will )
And the goodbye makes the journey harder still

Oh very young
What will you leave us this time
Youre only dancing on this earth for a short while
Oh very young
What will you leave us this time

< Oh Very Young Lyrics on http://www.lyricsmania.com/[br />