The Gift of Valor: A War Story
by Michael M. Phillips
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The true story of US Marine Corporal Jason Dunham's brave act that saved fellow Marines and earned him the Congressional Medal of Honor. Corporal Dunham was on patrol near the Syrian border, on April 14, 2004, when a black-clad Iraqi leaped out of a car and grabbed him around his neck. Fighting hand-to-hand in the dirt, Dunham saw his attacker drop a grenade and made the instantaneous decision to place his own helmet over the explosive in the hope of containing the blast and protecting his show more men. When the smoke cleared, Dunham's helmet was in shreds, and the corporal lay face down in his own blood. The Marines beside him were seriously wounded. Dunham was subsequently nominated for the Congressional Medal of Honor, the nation' s highest award for military valor. Phillips's minute-by-minute chronicle of the chaotic fighting that raged throughout the area and culminated in Dunham's injury provides a grunt's-eye view of war as it's being fought today--fear, confusion, bravery, and suffering set against a brotherhood forged in combat. His account of Dunham's eight-day journey home and of his parents' heartrending reunion with their son powerfully illustrates the cold brutality of war and the fragile humanity of those who fight it. Dunham leaves an indelible mark upon all who know his story, from the doctors and nurses who treat him, to the readers of the original Wall Street Journal article that told of his singular act of valor. show lessTags
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This story was really good- I was crying by the end of it. As a person who isn't in the military and doesn't plan on being, it was a wanted eye-opener of what the world is like. Not sure on how accurately or well it depicts reality, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.
The story of USMC Corporal Jason Dunham, who was wounded in Iraq in 2004 and subsequently received the Congressional Medal of Honor
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1 Work 113 Members
Michael M. Phillips, a staff reporter for the Wall Street Journal, has done four tours in Iraq with the Third Battalion, Seventh Marines.
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- Members
- 113
- Popularity
- 284,508
- Reviews
- 2
- Rating
- (4.06)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 8
