No Greater Love

November the 11th is Veteran's Day, which will be observed today.

Since our culture calls common service heroic and considers heroic sacrifice to be a tragic victimization, I've decided to highlight some heroes that have been largely ignored.

Jason Dunham, a corporal in the Marine Corps, was serving in Iraq in April 2004. He was struggling with an insurgent who dropped a grenade. Dunham placed his helmet over the grenade and his body over the helmet. He later died of his injuries.
Rafael Peralta, a sergeant in the Marine Corps, was fighting in Fallujah, Iraq in November 2004. While clearing a house, Peralta was shot by three terrorists in the face and upper body. When a grenade was thrown into the room occupied the Marines, Peralta grabbed it and covered it with his body, saving the lives of his comrades. He died instantly.
Michael Monsoor, a Navy Seal serving in Iraq in September 2006, had already pulled a wounded comrade to safety under intense enemy fire, when an enemy grenade struck him and bounced to the ground. Monsoor immediately covered the grenade with his body saving the lives of three fellow Seals at the cost of his own.

As of this writing, these three men, who have been nominated for the Medal of Honor, have not yet received it. The process can take as long as two years, but both Dunham and Peralta's petitions have reached that mark. These men, and perhaps others, should be honored alongside Paul Ray Smith, the only soldier so far to receive the nation's highest honor for the War on Terror.

"Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." John 15:13

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UPDATE: As I was writing this post, the news broke that President Bush has announced that Jason Dunham will be awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously.