WEBVTT

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- [Marine] "President of the United States in the

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"name of Congress takes pride in presenting the 
Medal of Honor, posthumously, to Corporal Jason L Dunham,

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"United States Marine Corps."
-  [CWO4 Dustin Rose] I get home

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from deployment and get the pictures

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developed and there's this picture of him

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making the craziest face before we go

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out. That's ultimately like how I

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remember him, just always joking around

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and trying to get people a little

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bit more relaxed before leaving

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the wire. And then, all right guys,

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let's put our heads on a swivel and go

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put heads on pikes.
- [Marine] "For services set

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"forth in the following."
- So, Jason.

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(solemn music)

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He came to us from Kings Bay. He

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actually was slowly but surely changing

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the way we led Marines 
and Kilo Company, at least 3/7.

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- He was a natural-born leader.

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So that was pretty amazing to see.

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- "For conspicuous gallantry and
intrepidity at the risk

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"of his life, above and beyond the call of duty,

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"while serving as rifle squad leader."

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- [Mejia] April 14th was not a good day.

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- [Rose] The day that everything

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happened, they were going on patrol.

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- [Marine] "On 14 April 2004, Corporal Dunham's

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"squad was conducting a reconnaissance

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"mission in the town of Karabilah, Iraq."

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- I was actually back at Al Qa'im when

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everything happened. And they

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came over the radio that Jason had been hit.

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- [Mejia] I was out on a patrol the

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same timeframe this happened.

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- [Marine] "Corporal Dunham led his
combined anti-armor team

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"towards the engagement."
- It was chaos that

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day. A lot of things were going on at once.

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- [Marine] "As Corporal Dunham and his

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"Marines advanced, they quickly began

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"to receive enemy fire.

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"Corporal Dunham ordered his squad to

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"dismount their vehicles and led one of

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"his fire teams on foot several blocks

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"south of the ambushed convoy. Corporal

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"Dunham and his team stopped the

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"vehicles to search them for weapons. As

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"they approached the vehicles, an

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"insurgent leaped out and attacked Corporal Dunham."

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- [Rose] When we were playing darts and
he'd say, well you brought it up. He was

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like, I bet if I put my Kevlar over it,

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it would save us all.

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- [Marine] "Corporal Dunham wrestled the insurgent

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"to the ground and in the ensuing struggle

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"saw the insurgent release a grenade.

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"Corporal Dunham immediately alerted 
his fellow Marines to the threat."

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- And then, a few weeks later,
he actually was put

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in a position where he did it.
- "Aware of

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"the imminent danger, and without

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"hesitation, Corporal Dunham covered the grenade 
with his helmet and body, bearing the brunt of the explosion and

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"shielding his Marines from the blast. By

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"his undaunted courage, intrepid

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"fighting spirit and unwavering devotion

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"to duty, Corporal Dunham gallantly

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"gave his life for his country."

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- He acted to help and save others.

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- [Marine] "In great credit upon himself and

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"upholding the highest traditions of the

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"Marine Corps, United States Naval Service."

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- What do you...How do you

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honor him? This was a gift that you

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were given and whatever

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you do with this gift is up to you.

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You are not tighter with anybody in

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this world over who you're over there

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with in combat. Taking care of each

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other, spending every waking moment

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together, you're a family. Those are

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guys that I've bled with and cried with

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and I will continue to do that till I die.

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(solemn music)