European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 14, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                              June 2007 stars and stripes Mideast e edition h eroes pages a reporter asked me How someone could decide to jump on a live its not a its your instinct As a Marine to confront a threat and protect your other Trent dunhams company commander he was up on top of the and that when the grenade went Hampton said he had no idea what but suddenly found himself Flat on his Back and bleed ing from shrapnel to his arms and Miller was also blown Back and suffered similar witnesses later said the iraqi had dropped the live grenade As he and Dunham without Hestia Dunham pulled off his helmet and jumped on hoping to shield his marines from the the iraqi survived the blast but was killed trying to All three marines were quickly evacuated from the Gibson said that when he the other marines had gathered All of dunhams equipment but  find his someone suggested he May have used it to try and contain the in looking around and there Are tiny scraps of Kevlar All Over the he i told the a Start picking it up that dunhams both Miller and Hampton had severe but nothing Dunham absorbed most of the blast and Hampton said after he was stabilized he rushed to find Dunham and see what support he could but every time i tried talking to i broke Dunham died eight Days later at the National naval medical Center in i  be alive at the White House ceremony where dunhams family was presented with his medal of president Bush praised him As the ultimate example of a on a Dusty Road in Western Dunham gave his own life so that the men under his com Mand might he Gibson said that was no none of it surprised me the Day it he it just seemed perfectly natural for him to do a reporter asked me How someone could decide to jump on a live its not a its your instinct As a Marine to confront a threat and protect your other Hampton said every time he hears the Story about another Marine receiving a medal or some sort of heroic act in it seems hollow to him because he compares it to dunhams i  be alive if it want for my daughter  have been born if it want for email Leo Shane at  in their own words even the Best writers cant capture the whole this stripes special heroes Section allows some of those heroes to Tell their own audio clips Are available at in the heroes 2007 Section to hear the following War fighters recount their tale chief warrant officer 2 Christian Beck Aubrey Mcdade 1st class Chad Stephens airman 1st class Charity Trueblood airman 1st class Christian Jackson Tommy Rieman 1st class Gerald Wolford Petty officer 2nd class Alan Dementer in the online Section features clips from Billy Hampton discussing Jason dunhams heroic and an audio Slideshow of his medal of Honor ceremony at the White additional photos of Many of the other heroes Are online As military awards George Washington established the first military called the badge of military in his general orders of the badge was to be awarded in not Only in stances of unusual gallantry but also of extraordinary Fidelity and essential service in any Way shall meet with due the orders the Road to glory in a Patriot army and a free country is thus open to the orders distinguished flying Cross medal of Honor with the Brief exception of Washington the military did not authorize the award of any medals for valor until the civil there Are now three designs for the medal of Honor Navy which is also Given to marines and the air which was not authorized its own design by Congress until the language governing the award Calls for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of above and beyond the Call of in action involving actual combat with an opposing armed distinguished service Cross and air Force Cross Navy in Congress passed an act that established a Pyra mid of Honor that provided for lesser so military commanders would have a Way to recognize heroic actions of different among the first medals to be established below the medal of Honor was the distinguished service in the Navy Cross was established for the sea services the marines and coast the air Force Cross was established in the language governing the award Calls for extraordinary heroism in actual combat with an opposing armed Silver Star Congress established the Silver Star along with the dec in the language governing the award of the Silver Star Calls for gallantry in action while engaged in combat against an enemy or while serving in combat with Friendly foreign the required while less than that required for the distinguished service must nevertheless have been performed with marked the v device in military officials decided to create a special footnote to the Bronze Star by authorizing a tiny brass for that could be attached to the the also known As v combat or com Bat distinguishing is authorized by All the the v is used As an attachment to a defined set of awards and decorations at or below the level of the Bronze the medal of Honor and Silver Star never include a v because valor is implicit in the award the distinguished flying Cross was authorized by presi Dent Coolidge in 1926 retroactive to 1918 to Honor Avia tons Coolidge gave the first dec to Charles Lind Bergh on june for the dec to be awarded for the act must involve voluntary action in the face of danger and be Well above the actions performed by others engaged in similar flight Bronze Star with v the Bronze Star was established in february 1944 Retro Active to the original purpose of the Bronze Star was to recognize the unique sacrifices of infantry but defense officials quickly decided to expand its award to All of the the language governing the award of the Bronze Star includes heroic or meritorious achievement or not involving Aerial while engaged in combat against an enemy or while serving in combat with Friendly foreign a tiny brass for can be attached to the air medal with v the air medal was established in specifically to protect the prestige of the distinguished flying like the Bronze the air medal can be awarded for both valor indicated by the v de vice and meritorious achieve ment or but the air medal is awarded Only for circumstances including participation in Aerial Navy and Marine corps medal with v awarded to Junior officers and enlisted personnel serving in any capacity with the Navy and Marine corps who distinguish themselves by outstanding professional achievement or for originally a noncom Bat the achievement medal is now awarded for both combat and noncombat the combat v device is worn on the ribbon if stipulated in the army commendation medal with v the army commendation medal is awarded to any Mem Ber of the armed forces of the United states other than Gener Al officers while serving in any capacity with the army after 6 december distinguished by meritorious achieve ment or meritorious