Tommy Batboy Lance Corporal Matt Croucher knew instantly he was in trouble, he’d felt his foot hit the trip wire. While patrolling in the Helmand province of Afghanistan, LCpl Croucher and members of his 40 Commando reconnaissance team were searching a suspected bomb-making factory. LCpl Croucher’s foot had confirmed they were in the right place, and the five-second fuse was burning. It’s 1,300 miles away, on 29 September 2006, and Navy SEAL Petty Officer (2nd Class) Michael Monsoor feels a sickening thud. While under attack in Ar Ramdi, Iraq a grenade hits his chest and rolls a few feet from where he was laying down covering fire while American and Iraqi forces fought insurgents. The local mosque was playing a familiar tune, encouraging anyone with arms to come out and kill the soldiers Petty Officer Monsoor and his team were trying to protect. In the blink of an eye both men suddenly found themselves in an instant and horrible situation: scream out, run and hope their comrades in arms could react, or sacrifice themselves by smothering the grenade. Neither man hesitated. Neither faltered. Both instantly dove on the grenade. The explosion mortally wounded Petty Officer Monsoor. He died thirty minutes later as medics frantically worked to save him. LCpl Croucher, in a stroke of amazing fortune, was able to use his rucksack and body armor to absorb enough of the blast that he survived. "It was a case of either having four of us as fatalities or badly wounded, or one," is what LCpl Croucher said afterwards about his actions. Not only did he smother the grenade, he refused to be air lifted from the scene and completed the mission with his team. It takes a special, unique person to look at the world this way. Above all other things people value self-preservation. There is nothing more biologically unnatural than sacrificing one’s own life. As a private my team leader used to keep a dummy grenade with him. Randomly he’d drop or throw it. Dozens of times the fuse expired. Dozens of times, I or another private would end up getting his Ranger buddies “killed”. Nine out of ten times we were staring dumbly at the grenade as my team leader screamed “BOOM!” That scene plays out across military units around the world. Just as it happened with me as a private, most of the time the grenade goes off. And that’s precisely what makes men like Matt Croucher and Michael Monsoor so extraordinary - so rare. In the span of a few heartbeats they decided to override every biological impulse running through them and save their comrades. They gave all so that others might live. There are no words that I can provide that would adequately pay homage to their actions. From all the guys at Ranger Up, we’d just like to say, “Thank you gentlemen. The word Hero was created for men like you. You represent the best that exists in humankind.” The British Royal High Command is currently reviewing the evidence and considering awarding LCpl Croucher the Victoria Cross, the highest award in the British military - an award that has not been given to a Royal Marine since World War II. We hope that they promptly see this to its proper conclusion and award LCpl Croucher this well-deserved honor. On 8 April 2008 Petty Officer Monsoor was awarded the Medal of Honor, with his parents accepting the award posthumously on his behalf. He is the 3,401 Hero to be so honored. Copyright of Tommy Click the icon below to meet more Heroes! |
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