The Story of Marine Corporal Jason Dunham

Date of Incident: April 14, 2004
Location: Husaybah, Iraq

Corporal Jason L. Dunham, a 22-year-old Marine from Scio, New York, was leading a patrol with his unit when they were ambushed near the Syrian border. During the firefight, Dunham and his team approached a group of vehicles suspected of harboring insurgents. When they attempted to search one of the vehicles, a man leaped out and attacked Dunham.

As they wrestled the man to the ground, he released a grenade.

In that critical, life-or-death moment, Dunham made a decision that defines heroism.

He shouted a warning to his fellow Marines—and then threw himself on the grenade, covering it with his body and his Kevlar helmet to shield the others from the blast.

The explosion severely wounded Dunham, causing devastating head injuries. He was airlifted back to the U.S., but despite every effort to save him, he died eight days later with his family by his side.

Because of his actions, he saved the lives of at least two Marines, possibly more.

In 2007, Jason Dunham was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, the United States’ highest military decoration. He was the first Marine to receive the Medal of Honor for service in Iraq.

The Navy later honored him by naming a guided missile destroyer the USS Jason Dunham (DDG-109) — a floating tribute to his bravery.