2/1 Marine receives heroism medal for life-saving actions
CAMP HANSEN, Okinawa (February 16, 2007) -- For two days, an Iraqi civilian lay helplessly buried beneath the rubble and debris of a toppled building. He had been left for dead and his fate was looking grim.
http://www.okinawa.usmc.mil/Public%20Affairs%20Info/Archive%20News%20Pages/2007/070216-medal.html
Cpl. Kamran Sadaghiani
Hope took a turn for the better when his life fell into the hands of Cpl. Mina Salama.
Salama, a supply noncommissioned officer now serving with Battalion Landing Team 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, was reminded of his actions that day when Lt. Col. Francis Donovan, the BLT commanding officer, presented him the Navy and Marine Corps Medal Jan. 26 during an award ceremony at the Camp Hansen House of Pain South Gymnasium.
On Nov. 8, 2005, Salama was on a re-supply convoy serving as an Arabic translator with 2/1 in Husaybah, Iraq, when he heard from the F Company commander that Iraqi civilians were trapped under a collapsed house. When the convoy arrived at the scene, they soon realized the situation was truly life threatening.
Salama immediately started talking to civilians and gained an idea of where the trapped man might be. Without hesitation, he crawled through the rubble of the collapsed building toward the man who turned out to be the last survivor beneath the debris.
"When I first went in, I heard a noise coming from somewhere within," Salama said. "I didn't know who it was, but I knew I had to get him out. It was that voice I kept hearing calling out to me that kept me going. For the first couple of hours, I was using my hands to move rubble out of my way. Later, civilians brought hammers and shovels because I had to literally break away rocks to free him."
After removing a dead body and debris, his only option to reach the lone survivor was to remove the debris that was supporting the remaining structure over his head. In a risky move, he successfully cleared a path to the man and then emerged from the rubble with the survivor.
The 2/1 logistics officer, Capt.Thomas Parmiter, who was the senior officer at the scene, described what he saw.
"There are no words to explain what the building looked like, you just had to see the rubble," Parmiter said. "It only took me about ten seconds to turn my back and task other Marines to provide support. By the time I looked back, Salama had already taken his gear off and handed his rifle over (and was) crawling through a small opening nearly a foot-and-a-half square. I grabbed him by the collar and wanted to pull him out, and he said, 'Sir, someone is dying in there,' so I let him go."
Salama, a 22-year-old native of Jersey City, New Jersey, never quit. With some assistance from two other Marines at the scene, he pulled out five dead bodies in all before reaching the survivor. The space he had to work in was so cramped that he was only able to advance while lying on his stomach in constant contact with the remains of the other victims.
Following the exhaustive rescue, he began talking with other locals to determine if any more aid was needed. He quickly learned of a young girl in a nearby building who was severely injured and he helped coordinate a medical evacuation for her.
At Salama's award ceremony, Donovan stated that there are incredible acts of great courage that happen every day that resemble different degrees of heroism. But what Salama did exemplified the epitome of a true hero.
"In today's society it's used quite a bit, and sometimes too frequently: the word hero. The Marine Corps always speaks of honor, courage and commitment, but here is a great example," Donovan said.
The Navy and Marine Corps Medal may be awarded to service members who, while serving in any capacity with the Navy or Marine Corps, distinguish themselves by heroism not involving actual conflict with an enemy. Typically, it is awarded for actions involving the risk of one's own life.