This Is A Hero

Meet Sgt. Rafael Peralta, a Marine from San Diego, California. He's my new hero. What this man did in the final few minutes of his life provides a lesson in what a true hero is.

Sgt. Peralta's unit was clearing a house in Fallujah when, entering a room, he was hit in the chest and face by by multiple rounds of AK-47 fire. Although mortally wounded, he was able to move out of the doorway, allowing other members of his squad to go after the terrorists who had shot him. In the chaos that ensued, one of the terrorists tossed a grenade into the crowd of Marines, rolling to a stop close to Peralta’s nearly lifeless body. The sergeant, nearly dead, reached for the grenade and pulled it into his chest, taking the full brunt of the explosion and saving the lives of several comrades.

This is what a hero is. This is what a Marine is.