Dan sits down with former Marine infantry Sergeant Rich Cervantes. Rich enlisted in the USMC in 2001, and trained as a TOW (Tube-launched, Optically tracked, Wire-guided) anti-tank gunner.

In this exclusive interview, he tells the story of why he joined, his training, and his experience in Iraq over several deployments with the First Marine Division.

He was awarded a Purple Heart, a NAM (Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal), and a Bronze Star, both with Valor. Following are the citations:

NAM

FOR HEROIC ACHIEVEMENT WHILE SERVING AS TUBE LAUNCHED, OPTICALLY TRACKED, WIRE COMMAND LINK, GUIDED MISSILE SYSTEM (TOW) GUNNER, TOW PLATOON, WEAPONS COMPANY, 3D BATTALION, 7TH MARINES, REGIMENTAL COMBAT TEAM 7, 1ST MARINE DIVISION IN SUPPORT OF OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM ON 8 AND 9 APRIL 2003. CORPORAL CERVANTES WAS TASKED WITH MANNING A VEHICULAR ROADBLOCK ALONG HIGHWAY 6 IN ORDER TO GUARD THE BATTALION'S FLANK. HE OBSERVED A FIVE-TON TRUCK RACING TOWARDS HIS POSITION AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED AND DISREGARDING POSTED INSTRUCTIONS. DESPITE THE FIRING OF WARNING SHOTS, THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO RAPIDLY CLOSE ON THE CHECKPOINT. AS THE TRUCK NEARED, HE ENGAGED IT WITH HIS M240G MACHINE GUN, KILLING THE DRIVER. OUT OF CONTROL, THE VEHICLE CAREENED DIRECTLY INTO HIS TOW VEHICLE, STRIKING IT VIOLENTLY AT OVER 25 MILES PER HOUR. DESPITE SUFFERING NUMEROUS INJURIES FROM THE COLLISION, HE VALIANTLY MAINTAINED HIS POST. CORPORAL CERVANTES' COURAGEOUS ACTIONS, INITIATIVE, AND COMPLETE DEDICATION TO DUTY REFLECTED CREDIT UPON HIM AND WERE IN KEEPING OF THE HIGHEST TRADITIONS OF THE MARINE CORPS AND THE UNITED STATES NAVAL SERVICE.

BRONZE STAR

FOR HEROIC ACHIEVEMENT IN CONNECTION WITH OPERATIONS AGAINST THE ENEMY AS TUBE LAUNCHED, OPTICALLY-TRACKED, WIRE COMMAND LINK, GUIDED MISSILE SYSTEM (TOW) MISSILE GUNNER AND VEHICLE COMMANDER, 1ST SECTION, COMBINED ANTI-ARMOR TEAM BLUE, WEAPONS COMPANY, 3D BATTALION, REGIMENTAL COMBAT TEAM-7, 1ST MARINE DIVISION, I MARINE EXPEDITIONARY FORCE ON 17 APRIL 2004, IN SUPPORT OF OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM II. WHILE RESPONDING TO REINFORCE A SNIPER TEAM FROM 1ST FORCE RECONNAISSANCE COMPANY THAT WAS UNDER ATTACK, COMBINED ANTI-ARMOR BLUE'S FOUR VEHICLES WERE CAUGHT IN A DELIBERATE AMBUSH FROM A THREE-STORY CEMENT BUILDING. ALL FOUR VEHICLES WERE HIT AND ONE WAS DISABLED. DESPERATELY UNDERMANNED, WITH ONE DISABLED VEHICLE AND TWO URGENT CASUALTIES, HIS SECTION NEEDED TO BREAK THE AMBUSH. WHILE THREE MARINES SUPPRESSED THE ENEMY POSITION WITH M16S, HE AGGRESSIVELY MANEUVERED HIS VEHICLE WITHIN 70 METERS OF THE BUILDING. REPEATING THE BATTLE DRILL TWO MORE TIMES, HE DESTROYED THE BUILDING AND BROKE THE AMBUSH. LATER IN THE SAME DAY AN INFANTRY PLATOON SUFFERED TWO URGENT CASUALTIES AND WAS PINNED DOWN BY ENEMY FIRE. HE AGAIN LED HIS VEHICLE STRAIGHT INTO THE ENEMY FIRE IN ORDER TO EVACUATE THE CASUALTIES. ENEMY FIRE SHATTERED THE WINDSHIELD OF HIS VEHICLE AS HE SUPPRESSED THE ENEMY WITH HIS M240G MACHINE GUN AND EXTRACTED THE TWO CASUALTIES. HIS BRAVERY IN THESE FIREFIGHTS INSPIRED ALL WHO OBSERVED HIS BOLD ACTIONS. BY HIS ZEALOUS INITIATIVE, COURAGEOUS ACTIONS, AND EXCEPTIONAL DEDICATION TO DUTY, CORPORAL CERVANTES REFLECTED GREAT CREDIT UPON HIMSELF AND UPHELD THE HIGHEST TRADITIONS OF THE MARINE CORPS AND THE UNITED STATES NAVAL SERVICE.

Next Episode: Black Hawk Down (2001)

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