AFGHANISTAN: Two Marines Win Navy Cross
June 14, 2011 at 11:42 pm 4 comments
Marines Awarded Navy Cross
Navy Secretary Ray Mabus pins the Navy Cross on Marine Corps Staff Sgt Juan Rodriguez-Chavez shortly after presenting the nation’s second highest award for valor to Capt. Ademola D. Fabayo (left) during a ceremony at the National Museum of the Marine Corps on June 10.
The two Marines were decorated for their actions against an enemy ambush in Kunar Province, Afghanistan on Sept. 8, 2009. On that day, then 1st Lt. Fabayo was leading a dismounted patrol of Americans and two platoons of Afghan National Security Forces into Ganjgal Village for a pre-dawn meeting with village elders. Rodriquez-Chavez was pulling security.
When the team was ambushed by more than 50 enemy fighters in fortified positions, four team members were cut off from safety. Rodriguez-Chavez and Fabayo repeatedly advanced into enemy fire to rescue their fallen comrades, making four trips into the kill zone in the hours of fighting that occurred that day.
(Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Christopher Zahn)
Entry filed under: Afghanistan, Counter Insurgency, National Security and Defense, Pakistan, Skills and Training, Washington. Tags: Afghanistan, Counter Insurgency, Defense, Marine Corps, maritime domain awareness, military aviation.
1.
Marcase | June 16, 2011 at 11:08 am
Outstanding work Marines. Well done.
2.
Lenn | June 29, 2011 at 7:38 am
THIS IS MY HUSBAND AND HE DID NOT “WIN” ANYTHING!! HE WAS NOT PLAYING GAMES OR COMPETING FOR THIS! HE WAS FIGHTING FOR LIFE & HIS FELLOW MARINES!
3.
John M. Doyle | June 29, 2011 at 1:08 pm
Lenn,
You’re absolutely right. Our apologies. We were just looking for a short verb for the headline. (You will note we used ‘awarded’ in the smaller headline above the story.) We just noticed it originally read Marine (singular) rather than Marines (plural). Apologies for that typographical error.
No slight or disrespect was intended.
Please tell you husband we are grateful for his service — and yours. And we’re thankful he survived that ordeal to come back to you, and receive the nation’s second-highest award for bravery — in person.
Thanks for contacting us to set the record straight. We hope you’ll continue checking up on 4GWAR and let us know if we go off the rails.
4.
Lenn | June 30, 2011 at 1:34 am
Thank you…