Michael Monsoor is the second Zumwalt-class destroyer to enter the fleet. Mike was also a SEAL communicator. You got a chance to talk to his Navy buddies before he became a SEAL and importantly after he became a SEAL and served in Iraq. I am far away from home. It's not always a religious thing, sometimes it's just that you have somebody safe you can express your fears with. [6], On September 29, 2006, Monsoor's platoon engaged four insurgents in a firefight in Ramadi, killing one and injuring another. George's son, Michael, is a recipient of the Medal of Honor and we're going to tell Michael's story. Monsoor was severely wounded and although evacuated immediately, he died 30 minutes later. Michael Monsoor was there in the midst of it all. So many guys have named their kids after him because they just loved him so much. Ramadi had been a violent and intense area for a very strong and aggressive insurgency for some time. Multiple times that we shared in the book. Market data provided by Factset. The Navy's newest Zumwalt-class destroyer, USS Michael Monsoor (DDG 1001), was commissioned Jan. 26 at Naval Air Station North Island, California. It really is, because all you want for your child is a long life, happiness, is comfort. How many times? You talk in the book about how he got into sports - hockey and football - and pushed himself to overcome this medical challenge. Monica Hellstrm; THE RESCUE Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin, John Battsek, P. J. van . I am so proud to be a part of this Band of Brothers. On September 29, 2006, Michael Monsoor and three SEAL snipers watched vigilantly for enemy activity from a rooftop post in Ar Ramadi, Iraq. The Moving Funeral of Petty Officer Mike Monsoor-Truth! Around midday, the exterior of the building was struck by a single rocket propelled grenade (RPG), but no injuries to any of the overwatch personnel were sustained. STEVE INSKEEP, host: The White House is about to bestow the highest military award on a Navy SEAL from Southern California. I want to point out, it also happens to be Saint Michael the Archangels Feast Day. He was a boy. A brotherhood bound by sweat and blood and tears. All of the rest of the men, three SEALs, and the Iraqi interpreters, survived because of what Michael did for them willingly. Some of details in the email are inaccurate.Petty Officer Second Class Mike Monsoor was a US Navy SEAL assigned to Task Unit Bravo in Ar Ramadi in Iraq. Because why my brother and not me? This is what I said: Ladies and gentlemen. I and the other members of SEAL Team Three, Task Unit Bruiser, had the honor of participating in the commissioning ceremony. April 5, 1981 - Sept. 29, 2006. A couple of hours later, an insurgency fighter closed on the overwatch position and threw a fragment grenade into the overwatch position which hit Monsoor in the chest before falling in front of him. A couple of powerful statements. The Michael Monsoor, a Zumwalt-class destroyer, is docked in the San Diego Harbor at Naval Air Station North Island in Coronado Island, Calif. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 2 / 10 [18], A SEAL training facilitylocated about 50 miles (80km) east of San Diegowas renamed Mountain Warfare Training Camp Michael Monsoor. Mikes gun is at the ready. It's been a very colorful and challenging life to live, but we're so grateful for our military men and women that serve us. He took a lot on and it says a lot about his character. Michael Monsoor is a hero for all the world to know about and appreciate. Petty Officer Second Class (SEAL) Michael A. Monsoor will receive the Medal of Honor posthumously in a ceremony at the White House April 8, 2008. Michael definitely inspired him in that, Michael was a SEAL first. "He undoubtedly saved mine and the other SEALs'' lives, and we owe him." Michael was so quiet. Funeral. Immediately, Monsoor yelled "Grenade!" People need to know what he gave for his country, what he gave up willingly and so that started everything. Immediately, Petty Officer Monsoor, with complete disregard for his own safety, exposed himself to heavy enemy fire in order to provide suppressive fire and fight his way to the wounded SEAL's position. WHAT RUDDERLESS MILLENNIALS COULD LEARN FROM NAVY SEAL MICHAEL MONSOOR -- WHO GAVE HIS LIFE FOR OTHERS. I am Michael Monsoor. Petty Officer Monsoor entered Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training in Coronado, Calif., and subsequently graduated with Class 250 on Sept. 2, 2004 as one of the top performers in his class. We put in the story what he told his mom or brother - he said you'll have to drag my dead body off the beach before I quit again. In the picture, his brother SEALs are nearbybut Mikey is out front. Silver Strand Training Complex. The SEALs fired back and stood their ground. Hi, I was a volunteer at the Bob Hope USO @ LAX for ten years and currently on occasion volunteer at the USO in San Diego. They weren't Navy SEALs. Monsoors body shielded the others from the brunt of the fragmentation blast and two other SEALs were only wounded by the remaining blast., One of the key aspects of this incident was the way the overwatch position was structured. Descripcin. Some sort of bonding and love of your fellow man deepens in those situations. Although only . Copyright 2018 by Legal Help for Veterans, PLLC The ship honors Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael Monsoor, a Navy SEAL who . Michael Monsoor is the second Zumwalt-class destroyer to enter the fleet. As I look at this picture, I hear a voice in a humble but confident tone. For those of us who were there, that picture of Mike captures all of this. 29, 2006, when he was killed . Rea: I don't think we'll ever understand, Jim. The reason I learned a little bit about it is my husband is an active-duty SEAL. He said he died in the state of grace and for what Catholics believe, with the sacraments and what else. However, I was patient but I just kept nudging and saying this is such a profound story. The 25-year-old California native died in 2006 . As you tell the story in "Defend Us in Battle," it seemed like the guys knew he knew he was taking on this extra responsibility to have their back. He's heading into his 20th year of service this summer. As the coffin passed, video shows each SEAL slapping down the gold Trident from his uniform and deeply embedding it in Monsoor's wooden coffin. The Early Years. Margaret Louise Monsoor, our loving mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt, and friend passed away in her sleep on August 8, 2021. Michael attended Dr. Walter C. Ralston Intermediate School and Garden Grove High School where he played tight end on the Argonaut football team and graduated in 1999. We all hit those challenges in life and it's so easy to ring the bell which you do to get out of the BUD/S and SEAL training. As the coffin passed each SEAL, they slapped down the gold Trident each had removed from his own uniform and deeply embedded it into the wooden coffin. He knew some of these guys were going home early, it's called turnover. Being the wife of a SEAL, quitting is the worst thing you can ever do, and Michael quit. It was communion, it was Eucharist, it was confession. Michael fought and fought and fought, even since he was little, to beat his ailment. His valorous conduct, exemplary leadership, and extraordinary self-sacrifice for his fellow service members have earned him the highest respect and gratitude of his fellow SEALs, the Navy, and our nation. He lived for 30 minutes longer, they were providing aid as fast as they could. And then from George and Sally's perspective, knowing bits and pieces people do know. Monsoor died approximately 30 minutes later from wounds sustained from the blast. There's a healthy level of mystery or privacy. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. As we bridge this, Father Halladay, Michael's faith, and the family's faith. At his Oct. 12 funeral, as the e-mail states, Navy SEALs took their trident pins and pounded them . He was only the second SEAL to die in Iraq since the war began. Master-at-Arms 2nd Class (SEAL) Michael A. Monsoor was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for diving onto a grenade to save his teammates in Ar Ramadi, Iraq, on September 29, 2006. They patrolled bravely through the city streets engaging in firefights while on other occasions, they ambushed insurgent mortar teams near the banks of the Euphrates River. Petty Officer Second Class (SEAL) Michael Anthony Monsoor. TIL during the funeral of Navy SEAL Michael A. Monsoor, every Navy SEAL on the West Coast came to the funeral, took off their golden trident off of there own uniform and slapped it onto his wooden coffin covering the whole coffin in golden tridents. US Navy Medal of Honor recipient (19812006), Mountain Warfare Training Camp Michael Monsoor, Garden Grove High School Memorial Stadium. Talk a little bit about the role and responsibility that goes with being that automatic weapon operator. Element snipers thwarted the enemy's initial attempt by eliminating two insurgents. A warship that proudly bears his name. Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael A. Monsoor had been near the only door to the rooftop structure Sept. 29 when the grenade hit him in the chest and bounced to the floor, said four SEALs who spoke to The Associated Press this week on condition of anonymity because their work requires their identities to remain secret. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, All Major Military Award Recipients (PDF), Medal of Honor Recipient's Story of Overcoming Obstacles and Sacrifice, Transcript of Veterans Radio Host Jim Fausone's Interview with. The new guys still can do some fun things, but for him to step into this role and provide such wonderful, tactical awareness and to do his job so well, it was just a huge, huge testament to him throwing himself in and giving his all. Monsoors body shielded the others from the brunt of the fragmentation blast and two other SEALs were only wounded by the remaining blast.. USS Michael Monsoor (DDG-1001) will be commissioned into Navy service. Because of Petty Officer Monsoor's actions, he saved the lives of his 3 teammates and the IA soldiers. 120. He placed him in a small, confined sniper hide-sight between two SEAL snipers on an outcropping of the roof, which allowed the three SEALs maximum coverage of the area. Rea: It did after and he was able to say that to them when they met him after he had passed away. Additionally, a nearby mosque called insurgents to arms to fight Coalition Forces. We were doing his wake after the funeral there. The U.S. Navy's newest vessel, a guided-missile destroyer named the USS Michael Monsoor (DDG-1001), commissioned on January 27, 2019. Michael inspired and looked out for his friends his whole life. It was such an honor and they felt safe with me because I wasn't just a reporter. It represents the three aspects of SEAL special operations, sea, air, and land. Only you guys, only the men, and women who have served in these stressful situations can attest something happens. Michael Monsoor was part of a dedicated team fighting the insurgency in Iraq, supporting the U.S. in its efforts to bring peace and stability to that country. Faith conquers all. In the following transcript, Veterans Radio host Jim Fausone talks with Rose about Michael, his family, his faith, and his sacrifice. Lt. Michael P. Murphy, fondly referred to by friends and family as "Murph," was born May 7, 1976 in Smithtown, N.Y. and grew up in the New York City commuter town . He was one of the best men I've ever met and although we were merely colleagues, I still mourn his every Memorial Day and September 29th. Monsoor was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, which was presented by President George W. Bush to Monsoor's parents on April 8, 2008. Rea: It's no small thing. During combat patrols he walked behind the platoon point man with his Mk 48 machinegun so that he could protect his platoon from a frontal enemy attack. I can't speak for him, but I assume that's why he kept it to himself. Kirsten Wang. BY HIS UNDAUNTED COURAGE, FIGHTING SPIRIT, AND UNWAVERING DEVOTION TO DUTY IN THE FACE OF CERTAIN DEATH, PETTY OFFICER MONSOOR GALLANTLY GAVE HIS LIFE FOR HIS COUNTRY, THEREBY REFLECTING GREAT CREDIT UPON HIMSELF AND UPHOLDING THE HIGHEST TRADITIONS OF THE UNITED STATES NAVAL SERVICE. I mean that's crushing. Petty Officer Second Class Michael Anthony Monsoor was born April 5, 1981 in Long Beach, Calif. Michael . To this day, they still blows me away. During the service, as Monsoor's coffin was taken from the hearse to the gravesite, Navy SEALs lined up in two columns. Ramadi had been a violent and intense area for a very strong and aggressive insurgency for some time. Over the years, many who have received the medal have given their lives in the action that earned it. The grenade hit Monsoor in the chest before falling to the ground. Lord, protect my brothers above all else. U.S. Navy via Getty Images . The other thing, not everyone's going to understand the gravity of this, but he was a new guy. He is a shield for all those who take refuge in Him. It is obviously very humbling to be here today, as it was humbling to be on the battlefield of Ramadi with my fellow SEALs and 2/28 Brigade Combat Team, the Iron Soldiers, and then 1/1 AD, the Ready First Combat Team, which was formed up by our brothers from the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines and included such hallowed units as the 1st of the 506th Band of brothers, the 1-37 Bandits, and the 3/8 Marines. Petty Officer Monsoor was subsequently awarded the Bronze Star as the Task Unit Ramadi, Iraq Combat Advisor from April to September 2006. Those chaplains of whatever denomination are doing great work with our men and I was really interested to read that Michael Monsoor, this Medal of Honor recipient, had that kind of relationship with that kind of chaplain when he was in Iraq. Petty Officer Michael A. Monsoor was killed in battle in Iraq in September 2006, and posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor in April. [2][4] When he was a child, Monsoor was afflicted with asthma but strengthened his lungs by racing his siblings in the family's swimming pool. Mike Cirelli, one of the men he saved, named his son Michael Anthony after Michael Anthony Monsoor. WHILE THE SEALS VIGILANTLY WATCHED FOR ENEMY ACTIVITY, AN INSURGENT THREW A HAND GRENADE FROM AN UNSEEN LOCATION, WHICH BOUNCED OFF PETTY OFFICER MONSOORS CHEST AND LANDED IN FRONT OF HIM. During the battle, a grenade bounced off Monsoors chest and landed on the roof. As a communicator and machine-gunner on patrols, Monsoor carried 100 pounds (45kg) of gear in temperatures often exceeding 100 degrees. George eventually said okay, let's do it. He deployed with his platoon to Iraq in April 2006 in support of OperationIraqi Freedom, and was assigned to Task Unit Bravo in Ar Ramadi. During Mike Monsoors funeral in San Diego, as his coffin was being moved from the hearse to the grave site at Ft. Rosecrans National Cemetery, SEALs were lined up on both sides of the pallbearers route forming a column of twos, with the coffin moving up the center. He will receive the award for his actions in Ar Ramadi, Iraq on Sept. 29, 2006. Instantly and without regard for his own . Zumwalt-class destroyer USS Michael Monsoor (DDG 1001) moored at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam during Rim of the Pacific (RIMPACT) 2022. Delta Platoon was sent to Iraq in April 2006 and assigned to train Iraqi Army soldiers in Ramadi. As Mikes coffin passed, each SEAL, having removed his gold Trident from his uniform, slapped it down embedding the Trident in the wooden coffin. And then he had communications equipment. : USS Michael Monsoor DDG-1001 2. His quiet demeanor and dedication to his friends matched the "Silent Warrior" SEAL mentality that was to become his calling in life. [17], In October 2008, United States Secretary of the Navy Donald C. Winter announced that the second ship in the Zumwalt class of destroyers would be named USSMichael Monsoor(DDG-1001) in honor of Petty Officer Monsoor. Rose, how did you get involved in helping write and shape this book? We worked hand-in-hand and one by one with his teammates. On 11 different operations, Petty Officer Monsoor exposed himself to heavy enemy fire while shielding his teammates with suppressive fire. The four had been working with Iraqi soldiers providing sniper security while U.S. and Iraqi forces conducted missions in the area. 190126-N-XN177-1481 SAN DIEGO (Jan. 26, 2019) The crew of the Zumwalt-class guided-missile destroyer USS Michael Monsoor (DDG 1001) brings the ship to life during its commissioning ceremony, Jan. 26, 2019. They really didn't - it was definitely something. I remember his mom telling me she said, "Michael you can't do everything," because he just continued to carry the extra load, the extra weight. You have to ask yourself what makes a man do this. In the book, "Defend Us in Battle: The True Story of MA2 Navy SEAL Medal of Honor Recipient Michael A. Monsoor". This voice says to me: I am patrolling through the streets of Ramadi. But we are strong. [5], During the funeral, as the coffin was moving from the hearse to the grave site, Navy SEALs were lined up forming a column of twos on both sides of the pallbearers' route, with the coffin moving up the center. Through this ship: Michael Monsoor will still represent the very best our country has to offer. But George got to talk to Michael and tell him, "Hey, don't be a hero" and Michael responded, "I have no regrets." Jocko is widely known today as a lecturer, coach, podcaster, and personality about the war in Iraq. All rights reserved. It's really a selfless sacrifice and you end up giving this gift to those who are spared. In the morning, his team observed four enemy fighters armed with AK-47s reconnoitering from roads in the sector to conduct follow-on attacks. A relationship through how much they loved each other and then this brotherly love which ultimately grows and grows and then at the end, but after you saw how much he cared about his fellow squadmates didn't it almost make sense at the end as devastating as it was.
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