A hero stands proud - what an amazing Marine

[MaCoo]

Marine who threw himself on exploding grenade to protect comrades awarded George Cross

 

A Royal Marine who threw himself on to an exploding grenade to save the lives of his comrades is to receive the George Cross.

 

Lance Corporal Matthew Croucher stepped on a trip-wire which triggered the device during a night raid on a Taliban compound in Afghanistan.

 

Realising that three other members of his patrol would be killed if he did not act, he launched himself forward to smother the explosion, managing to twist on to his back to let his rucksack take the full force of the blast.

 

Lance Corporal Matthew Croucher with his shredded rucksack. Having stepped on a trip-wire he threw himself on to the device allowing the rucksack to bear the brunt of the explosion and thereby save the lives of three colleagues

 

The explosion hurled him across the compound leaving him stunned, bleeding profusely from the nose and almost deaf.

 

His rucksack was shredded and burning shrapnel from the kit he had been carrying was scattered around the area, with pieces found embedded in his helmet and body armour.

 

Miraculously the 24-year-old Marine survived and within minutes was on his feet, refusing evacuation and demanding to be allowed to stay with the patrol. He helped set an ambush and shot dead a Taliban insurgent in the ensuing gunfight.

 

Lance Cpl Croucher recalled later: 'I thought, "I've set this bloody thing off and I'm going to do whatever it takes to protect the others".

 

'The lads behind me would have caught a lot. I'm very tight with the other three guys. There's been a few times when they've saved my bacon.

 

'I figured that if I could keep my torso and head intact I'd probably survive any other injuries - although I fully expected to lose a limb.'

 

The George Cross ranks alongside the Victoria Cross as the highest medal for valour.

 

The VC is awarded for outstanding bravery 'in the face of the enemy' and is often regarded as more prestigious, although the GC recognises the same level of gallantry in cases where no enemy is present.

 

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1037353/Marine-threw-exploding-grenade-protect-comrades-awarded-George-Cross.html

[Guest Corruptor310]

U.S. Marine

Royal Marine

ROK Marine

 

I would expect nothing less from any of them.

 

How much fun did you have in Boot Camp MaCoo with the DI's tossing random fake grenades around to see how many bodies would pile up on it? The good old days......ahhhhh

[MaCoo]

You know what boot camp was awesome. - Two hands on that grenade crazy. BOOM!!! were all dead....

[CDBS14]

wow, thats a real act of valor there, very lucky guy too.

[DK_Deadly_Intent]

thats good stuff there. its not often people put themselves in danger to save others. he was one lucky bastard. I'm glad he survived.

[Guest Corruptor310]

MaCoo_ P-CR ]

You know what boot camp was awesome. - Two hands on that grenade crazy. BOOM!!! were all dead....

 

lol

[Chili327]

Whats a Royal Marine..?

 

U.K.!?

[Guest Corruptor310]

yes.

 

http://www.royalmarines.mod.uk/server/show/nav.6612

 

but inmho

 

respect the ROK Marines .

 

truly insane----- zero politically protected pampering going on with those flucks.

 

I attended Mountain Warfare(MW) trainining in Korea for one of the "Team Spirit" operations a long time ago.

 

they had some ROK Marines attempting to become MW trainers --- the actual MW trainers had these dudes scaling a rock enfacement -- fully loaded with pack, helmet and rifle, no ropes --- and while slinging huge softball size rocks at these dudes -- and I mean slinging them at the schoolies and everything was fair game... them damn instructors where laughin there asses off when they would knock one off --- and get right in his face --- i dont speak Korean, but you could tell it was -- get the fluck back up on that wall NOW.

 

[BX-ROBSTEALTH-NY]

good stuff nice find Macoo--

[Chaka]

One Lucky SOB

[Guest NEO-X]

wow, thats simply badass.. and very brave...

 

thanks for sharing

[CDBS14]

i wonder if he would return to combat?

[(SCK)BIG_BIRD69]

Wow. just speechless. It Takes real Courage and Bravery Toss yourself on a GEG Mine.

I Salute Him. and am Glad he or his brothers werent Severly Injured

[MaCoo]

I think what amazes me even more then him saving his brothers is the fact that he lived and went on fighting. I have seen many a citations of soliders and Marines jumping on a grenade but they all ended with them dieing. This devil dog after being shot putted across the room jumped up shook his damn head and said lets kill some more bad guys.

 

Un-fucking-believeable...

 

So this is truly something amazing.

[[RIP]saint52]

The only Devil dogs I know reside in the U.S. Marine Corp

[Guest Corruptor310]

The only Devil Dogs I know reside in the U.S. Marine Corps

 

ftfy

 

and you would also be correct in that assessment saint52.

 

[MaCoo]

Corruptor310 ]

The only Devil Dogs I know reside in the U.S. Marine Corps

 

ftfy

 

and you would also be correct in that assessment saint52.

 

 

Fine get technical on me, he is none the less a Marine so as a former SSgt of Marines I guess I can still call the young Lance Corporal a Devil Dog. Right? "I think I have earned that right?" LOL "You don't want me on that wall you need me on that wall."

[CDBS14]

you can call a royal a marine a devildog?

[[RIP]saint52]

 

LOL not getting as technical as the guy above who feels the need to correct my post...lol......and I was only saying it because my old would probably rip the computer out of the wall if he saw someone be called a Devil Dog from Britain...lol.....non-the less, the kid is a bad ass.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MaCoo_ P-CR ]

Corruptor310 ]

The only Devil Dogs I know reside in the U.S. Marine Corps

 

ftfy

 

and you would also be correct in that assessment saint52.

 

 

Fine get technical on me, he is none the less a Marine so as a former SSgt of Marines I guess I can still call the young Lance Corporal a Devil Dog. Right? "I think I have earned that right?" LOL "You don't want me on that wall you need me on that wall."