Michael A. Monsoor
| Michael A. Monsoor | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Birth name | Michael Anthony Monsoor |
| Born |
April 5, 1981 Long Beach, California, U.S. |
| Died | September 29, 2006 (aged 25) Ramadi, Iraq † |
| Buried at | Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery San Diego, California, U.S. |
| Allegiance |
 United States
|
| Service/branch |
 United States Navy
|
| Years of service | 2001–2006 |
| Rank |
 Master-at-Arms Second Class
|
| Unit | U.S. Navy SEALs (SEAL Team 3) |
| Battles/wars | Iraq War † |
| Awards |
 Medal of Honor Silver Star Medal Bronze Star Medal (Combat Distinguishing Device) Purple Heart Combat Action Ribbon
|
Michael Anthony Monsoor (April 5, 1981 – September 29, 2006) was a United States Navy SEAL who was killed during the Iraq War and posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. Monsoor enlisted in the United States Navy in 2001 and graduated from Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training BUD/S class 250 in 2004. After further training he was assigned to Delta Platoon, SEAL Team 3.
Delta Platoon was sent to Iraq in April 2006 and assigned to train Iraqi Army soldiers in Ramadi. Over the next five months, Monsoor and his platoon frequently engaged in combat with insurgent forces. On September 29, 2006, an insurgent threw a grenade onto a rooftop where Monsoor and several other SEALs and Iraqi soldiers were positioned. Monsoor quickly smothered the grenade with his body, absorbing the resulting explosion and saving his comrades from serious injury or death. Monsoor died about 30 minutes later from serious wounds caused by the grenade explosion.
On March 31, 2008, the United States Department of Defense confirmed that Michael Monsoor would posthumously receive the Medal of Honor. U.S. President George W. Bush presented the medal to Monsoor's parents on April 8, 2008. In October 2008, Secretary of the Navy Donald C. Winter announced that DDG-1001, the second ship in the Zumwalt-class of guided missile destroyers, would be named Michael Monsoor in his honor.
Monsoor was born April 5, 1981, in Long Beach, California, the third of four children of Sally Ann (Boyle) and George Paul Monsoor. His father also served in the United States military as a Marine. His father is of Lebanese and Irish descent, and his mother has Irish ancestry. When he was a child, Monsoor was afflicted with asthma but strengthened his lungs by racing his siblings in the family's swimming pool. He attended Dr. Walter C. Ralston Intermediate School and Garden Grove High School in Garden Grove, California and played tight-end on the school's football team, graduating in 1999.
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