Today, an immense honor was bestowed upon a brave soldier who risked his live during live combat to rescue his team when they were ambushed two years ago in Afghanistan. However, if you ask Sergeant Dakota Meyer if he believe he deserves the Medal of Honor, the highest military decoration awarded by The United States government, you will be answered with a resounding no.
On September 8th, 2009 just before dawn in the Kunar province of Afghanistan, U.S. soldiers and marines were accompanying an Afghan battalion when they were ambushed by Taliban insurgents at Ganjgal valley. The mountains in the valley erupted in a deadly battlefield of open fire, as rocket-propelled grenades and bullet shells flew at the squadron from every possible angle, ranging from schools to the hills.
It was at this point, where the story of Sgt. Dakota Meyer becomes one of true heroism and brotherhood. Admittedly, never one to follow the flow nor the rules, Sgt. Meyer immediately knew he had to take action into his own hands in order to rescue his team. Located at the rear during the ambush, Sgt. Meyer watched as his brothers in war were trapped with no possible escape, left to die.
After being denied permission to join the fight, on the count of it being to dangerous. Sgt. Meyer and Staff Sergeant Juan Rodriguez-Chavez embarked on what can only be described as a suicide mission. Disobeying the conventional Military operation of following orders, Meyer and Chavez defied the odds and drove a humvee straight into the heart of the ambush, with Chavez at the wheel and Meyer operating the gun on top, his whole upper body completely exposed to the chaotic atmosphere around him.
Stopping to rescue and pick up the injured troops and give cover for American forces to escape, Meyer and Chavez were able to successfully save a great number of human lives both American and Afghan alike. A total of five trips were made into the middle of hell on earth, having to move on foot the final time. Each and every second, Sgt. Meyer said he felt he was going to die but as he says, “that's what you do for a brother.”
A total of thirty-six lives were saved that day during the six hour ambush. Twenty-three Afghanistan lives and thirteen American lives. Sgt. Meyer is also credited with killing eight Taliban insurgents who initiated the attack, some at close range. Unfortunately, when Meyer and Chavez reached their comrades, they had already been killed in combat. The four men apart of Meyer's team were Lt. Michael Johnson, Staff Sgt. Aaron Kenefick, Gunnery Sgt. Edwin Johnson and Navy Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class James Layton. However, Sgt. Meyer was able to rescue the bodies, enabling them to be brought back home and laid to rest peacefully, giving their families their proper goodbyes.
Accepting the award on behalf of the fallen soldiers at a memorialization in his hometown of Columbia, Kentucky. Sgt. Meyer may feel uncomfortable with being described as a hero, but there is no denying the fact that what this man did on that doomed day is the definition of a true American hero and recipient of the Medal of Honor. Believing all the fighting men and women deserve this award, a simple beer with the President would have been more then enough compensation for Dakota, even though he was to busy to answer the Commander-In-Chief's call the first time claiming he had to work.
Sgt. Dakota Meyer thank you. Your bravery and story is an inspiration to American's nationwide and I congratulate you on being one of the youngest recipients of the Medal of Honor award.
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