Project Hero

QandO has the next Silver Star recipient tribute up on their site.



Our hero this week is PFC Joseph Perez, Navy Cross

Pfc. Joseph B. Perez, 23, a Houston native, received the Navy Cross for "extraordinary heroism" while serving as a rifleman with Company I, 3/5, on April 4, 2003.

First Platoon came under "intense" enemy fire near Route 6 during the advance into Baghdad, Perez's award citation read.

Perez, the point man for the lead squad — and therefore the most exposed member of the platoon — faced the brunt of the enemy fire, he citation read.

But he didn't back down.

He continually fired his M16A4 rifle to destroy the enemy while calmly directing accurate fires for his squad, the citation said.

He led the charge down an enemy trench and — amid "tremendous" enemy fire — threw a grenade into the trench, the citation said.

But the enemy wasn't done — and neither was Perez.

With a "heavy volume of fire" still directed toward the Marines, Perez fired an AT-4 rocket into a machine-gun bunker, completely destroying it and killing four enemy personnel, the citation said.

His actions enabled the squad to maneuver safely to the enemy position and seize it, the citation read.

But the job wasn't finished.

Attempting to link up with 3rd Platoon on his platoon's left flank, Perez continued to destroy enemy combatants with his rifle. As he worked his way to the left, he was hit by enemy fire, sustaining gunshot wounds to his torso and shoulder.

Although seriously injured, Perez directed the squad to take cover and gave accurate fire direction that enabled the squad to reorganize and destroy the enemy, the citation said.

"It is unreal. It is not what I expected. It is unbelievable," Perez said about receiving the award.

"This is real weird for me, because, I am not big on special events."