Michael A. Monsoor

Monsoor was born April 5, 1981, in Long Beach, California, the third of four children of Sally Ann (Boyle) and George Paul Monsoor. His father also served in the United States military as a Marine. His father is of Lebanese descent, and his mother has Irish ancestry. When he was a child, Monsoor was afflicted with asthma but strengthened his lungs by racing his siblings in the family's swimming pool. He attended Dr. Walter C. Ralston Intermediate School and Garden Grove High School in Garden Grove, California, and played tight end on the school's football team, graduating in 1999.{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2008-apr-01-me-moh1-story.html |access-date=September 18, 2008|author=Perry, Tony|title=Sailor Killed in Iraq Awarded Medal of Honor|work=Los Angeles Times|date=April 1, 2008 ==Military career==

United States Navy SEALs Monsoor enlisted in the United States Navy on March 21, 2001, and attended Basic Training at Recruit Training Command Great Lakes, Illinois. Upon graduation from basic training, he attended Quartermaster "A" School. He volunteered for Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training (BUD/S) at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado. During first phase of training for his class 238, Monsoor voluntarily withdrew from training. Monsoor received assignment as master-at-arms at the Security Detachment in Sigonella, Sicily, from January 2002 to January 2004 and volunteered again for BUD/S training. Monsoor graduated from BUD/S class 250 on September 2, 2004, as one of the top performers in his class. After BUD/S, he completed advanced SEAL training courses including parachute training at Basic Airborne School, cold weather combat training in Kodiak, Alaska, and six months of SEAL Qualification Training (SQT) in Coronado, California, graduating in March 2005. Monsoor received the Navy Enlisted Classification (NEC) 5326 as a Combatant Swimmer (SEAL), entitled to wear the Special Warfare Insignia. The following month, his rating changed from quartermaster to master-at-arms, and he was assigned to Delta Platoon, SEAL Team 3. and was also awarded the Bronze Star Medal for his service in Iraq. ==Death==

On September 29, 2006, Monsoor's platoon shot at four insurgents in a firefight in Ramadi, killing one and injuring another. Anticipating further attacks, Monsoor, three SEAL snipers and three Iraqi Army soldiers took up a rooftop position. Civilians aiding the insurgents blocked off the streets, and a nearby mosque broadcast a message for people to fight against the Americans and the Iraqi soldiers. Monsoor was protecting other SEALs, two of whom were 15 feet away from him. Monsoor's position made him the only SEAL on the rooftop with quick access to an escape route. The display moved many attending the funeral, including President Bush, who spoke about the incident later during a speech stating: "The procession went on nearly half an hour, and when it was all over, the simple wooden coffin had become a gold-plated memorial to a hero who will never be forgotten." ==Awards and decorations==

Medal of Honor On March 31, 2008, the United States Department of Defense confirmed that Monsoor would posthumously receive the Medal of Honor. Monsoor's parents, Sally and George Monsoor, received the medal on his behalf at an April 8, ceremony at the White House held by the President.{{cite press release|url=https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2008/04/20080408-3.html |title=President Bush Attends Medal of Honor Ceremony for Petty Officer Michael A. Monsoor, U.S. Navy |author=Office of the Press Secretary Medal of Honor citation For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as automatic weapons gunner for Naval Special Warfare Task Group Arabian Peninsula, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom on September 29, 2006. As a member of a combined SEAL and Iraqi Army Sniper Overwatch Element, tasked with providing early warning and stand-off protection from a rooftop in an insurgent held sector of Ar Ramadi, Iraq, Petty Officer Monsoor distinguished himself by his exceptional bravery in the face of grave danger. In the early morning, insurgents prepared to execute a coordinated attack by reconnoitering the area around the element’s position. Element snipers thwarted the enemy’s initial attempt by eliminating two insurgents. The enemy continued to assault the element, engaging them with a rocket-propelled grenade and small arms fire. As enemy activity increased, Petty Officer Monsoor took position with his machine gun between two teammates on an outcropping of the roof. While the SEALs vigilantly watched for enemy activity, an insurgent threw a hand grenade from an unseen location, which bounced off Petty Officer Monsoor’s chest and landed in front of him. Although only he could have escaped the blast, Petty Officer Monsoor chose instead to protect his teammates. Instantly and without regard for his own safety, he threw himself onto the grenade to absorb the force of the explosion with his body, saving the lives of his two teammates. By his undaunted courage, fighting spirit, and unwavering devotion to duty in the face of certain death, Petty Officer Monsoor gallantly gave his life for his country, thereby reflecting great credit upon himself and upholding the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service. ==Legacy==

In 2011, the United States Department of Veterans Affairs honored Monsoor by naming one of the first three named streets at Miramar National Cemetery after him. USS Michael Monsoor (DDG-1001) In October 2008, United States Secretary of the Navy Donald C. Winter announced that the second ship in the of destroyers would be named in honor of Petty Officer Monsoor. Mountain Warfare Training Camp Michael Monsoor A SEAL training facility—located about east of San Diego—was renamed Mountain Warfare Training Camp Michael Monsoor. U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps There is a U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps unit named the "Michael A. Monsoor Battalion" based in Camp Pendleton, California. The unit symbol is composed of Petty Officer Monsoor's Medal of Honor, SEAL Trident, and Master-at-Arms shield. Everyone in the unit knows Petty Officer Michael A. Monsoor's career history and shares it with all new cadets. Garden Grove High School Memorial Stadium As part of modernization, Garden Grove High School, where Michael Monsoor attended, dedicated the newly built stadium to him, naming it "Michael Monsoor Memorial Stadium". Books Monsoor is mentioned in the book by Rorke Denver, Damn Few: Making the Modern SEAL Warrior and has a chapter about his story and is pictured on the cover of the 2008 book The Sheriff of Ramadi: Navy SEALs and the Winning of al-Anbar by Dick Couch. ==See also==