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The
President of the United States
Takes Pleasure in Presenting
The Navy Cross
To
Joseph
B. Perez
Lance Corporal, United States Marine Corps
For
Services as Set Forth in the Following
Citation:
For extraordinary heroism as
Rifleman, Company I, 3d Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division, I
Marine Expeditionary Force in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM on 4
April 2003. While clearing near Route 6 during the advance into Baghdad,
1st Platoon came under intense enemy fire. As the point man for the lead
squad and the most exposed member of the platoon, Lance Corporal Perez
came under the majority of these fires. Without hesitation, he
continuously employed his M16A4 rifle to destroy the enemy while calmly
directing accurate fires for his squad. He led the charge down a trench
destroying the enemy and while closing and under tremendous enemy fire,
threw a grenade into a trench that the enemy was occupying. While under
a heavy volume of fire. Lance Corporal Perez fired an AT-4 rocket into a
machine gun bunker, completely destroying it and killing four enemy
personnel. His actions enabled the squad to maneuver safely to the enemy
position and seize it. In an effort to link up with 3d Platoon on his
platoon's left flank, Lance Corporal Perez continued to destroy enemy
combatants with precision rifle fire. As he worked his way to the left,
he was hit by enemy fire, sustaining gunshot wounds' to his torso and
shoulder. Despite being seriously injured, Lance 'Corporal Perez
directed the squad to take cover and gave the squad accurate fire
direction to the enemy that* enabled the squad to reorganize and destroy
the enemy. By his outstanding display of decisive leadership, unlimited
courage in the face of heavy enemy fire, and utmost devotion to duty,
Lance Corporal Perez reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the
highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval
Service.
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