President Bush noticably teared up as he honored Petty Officer George Monsoor for sacrificing his life for his Teammates. At one point he clearly could not speak. Not nearly as much of a "warmonger" as he's frequently credited with being, I suppose.
Master of Arms Second Class Michael Monsoor was providing rear security for two snipers on a rooftop when an insurgent's grenade was tossed at them. The grenade struck Monsoor in the chest and rolled toward his Teammates. Monsoor screamed "Grenade!" and threw himself on the explosive, sacrificing himself. He alone had a clear path of escape; he chose to save his teammates at the cost of his own life.
As President Bush said, "On Saint Michael's Day — September 29, 2006 — Michael Monsoor would make the ultimate sacrifice. Mike and two teammates had taken position on the outcropping of a rooftop when an insurgent grenade bounced off Mike's chest and landed on the roof. Mike had a clear chance to escape, but he realized that the other two SEALs did not. In that terrible moment, he had two options — to save himself, or to save his friends. For Mike, this was no choice at all. He threw himself onto the grenade, and absorbed the blast with his body. One of the survivors puts it this way: "Mikey looked death in the face that day and said, 'You cannot take my brothers. I will go in their stead.'"
The words from Jesus in John 15:13 come to mind. "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends."
President Bush's words are far better than any I can offer. He continued:
"Perhaps the greatest tribute to Mike's life is the way different service
members all across the world responded to his death. Army soldiers in Ramadi
hosted a memorial service for the valiant man who had fought beside them. Iraqi
Army scouts — whom Mike helped train — lowered their flag, and sent it to his
parents. Nearly every SEAL on the West Coast turned out for Mike's funeral in
California. As the SEALs filed past the casket, they removed their golden
tridents from their uniforms, pressed them onto the walls of the coffin. The
procession went on nearly half an hour. And when it was all over, the simple
wooden coffin had become a gold-plated memorial to a hero who will never be
forgotten.
For his valor, Michael Monsoor becomes the fourth Medal of Honor
recipient in the war on terror. Like the three men who came before him, Mike
left us far too early. But time will not diminish his legacy. We see his legacy
in the SEALs whose lives he saved. We see his legacy in the city of Ramadi,
which has gone from one of the most dangerous places in Iraq to one of the most
safest. We see his legacy in the family that stands before us filled with grief,
but also with everlasting pride.
Mr. and Mrs. Monsoor: America owes you a debt that can never be repaid.
This nation will always cherish the memory of your son. We will not let his life
go in vain. And this nation will always honor the sacrifice he made. May God
comfort you. May God bless America."
President Abraham Lincoln's Nov 21, 1864 letter to a mother who lost five sons fighting for the Union are worthy of mention here.
"I have been shown in the files of the War Department a statement of the
Adjutant-General of Massachusetts, that you are the mother of five sons who have
died gloriously on the field of battle.
I feel how weak and fruitless must be any words of mine which should
attempt to beguile you from the grief of a loss so overwhelming. But I cannot
refrain from tendering to you the consolation that may be found in the thanks of
the Republic they died to save.
I pray that our Heavenly Father may assuage the anguish of your
bereavement, and leave you only the cherished memory of the loved and lost, and
the solemn pride that must be yours, to have laid so costly a sacrifice upon the
altar of Freedom. Yours, very sincerely and respectfully,Abraham Lincoln
Master At Arms Second Class Michael A. Monsoor, today your country honors your life and your sacrifice for laying your own life upon that hallowed alter. May your family and your Teammates overcome their grief at your loss and cherish your memory and your example. May all of us in some small way become better people, more willing to think of others more than we think of ourselves, because of what you did that day on 29 Sep 2006.
And we honor our Navy SEALs and all of our magnificent warriors in the combat zones, who sacrifice themselves for us every single day by volunteering to serve in a dirty, difficult, and dangerous environment. May your sacrifices ultimately be rewarded with a stronger America and a better world.
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