European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 14, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                              18 stars and stripes Mideast e d i t i 0 n h e r o e s june 2007 what keeps me going is my Job by Sandra Jontz stars and stripes Carlos Gomezperez skin has the yawning Hole once in his shoulder has closed his face bears a Small he looks to his scars might be but there evident none if youre talking More of the phys then in the 24year old former name Carlos Gomezperez unit company 2nd 1st Marine regiment medal Silver Star earned april in Iraq Marine says into his cell phone after ordering French Fries for breakfast one tuesday morning at a fast food restaurant in downtown san he suffers his temper at times scares his nearly 6yearold in not liking people too much some said who suffers from residual Post traumatic stress dior if it were up to id stay Home All the i  go out of the but what keeps me going is my the Iraq Veteran receives mental health but prefers to keep the details he talks about his Good Job teaching a rigorous two week self de Force Protection and antiterrorism Courtesy of Carlos Gomezperez Carlos Gomezperez of company 2nd 1st Marine sits in front of a Hospital sign in Gomezperez was shot in the face and shoulder while running through insurgent gunfire to Rescue a dying course to deploying sailors at the 32nd Street naval base in san i give them my Best so they wont be surprised when they get Over so  be Able to take care of Gomezperez finds he in his new Mission to prepare servicemen Bers for missions to the same War zone that scarred and yet produced a War a War hero for he Doest see it that please dont Call me a he in not a i was doing my during an intense firefight with insurgents in three years he rushed Back into a building under siege by insurgents to Rescue a dying in the midst of the he had been shot in the and had a gaping Hole torn into his shoulder an injury that eventually meant the infantryman needed to be medically retired from the Marine for his actions in braving hostile fire on april Gomezperez received a Silver the nations third highest military citation for Brav Ery in not a he in just another ask him about what happened on the hot april and he launches into a Long tale that would make Hollywood screen writers and there is no hint of brag Ging in his As the former infantryman re counts tales of How some 150 insurgents surrounded the 27 to 30 of us attacking from the South and leaving us Only to the West to but leaving want an the marines of company 2nd 1st Marine regiment stood their Gomezperez and others made it to a second floor Patio As they worked their Way toward the rooftop in an attempt to gain they shot at us from All i could see bullets clearly hitting the Concrete in front of ii they shot at us from All i could see bullets clearly hitting the Concrete in front of w Carlos Gomezperez his Lance Aaron had been shot repeatedly in the Chest by ak47 Gomezperez was shot making his Way toward his dying he tried to Stop austins to get him off the but Austin died in my amid the Gomezperez was he went kicking and not wanting to leave his men said Gregg the battalions former com manding when Olson saw he want struck at All by Gomezperez first words to the his first words he expressed con Cern for his fellow asking How is everyone else doing not Only were his actions selfless that Day on the but his thoughts later were selfless As Olson said in an interview last the younger Marine is a modest one who Doest take Well to accolades for accolades Olson Hes a very likable Olson and a Humble he thinks of himself More As a team member rather than an Hes a solid citizen and a Good american email Sandra Jontz at  i dont think anybody joins up to win medals7 name William Chesarek unit assigned to British forces medal Britain distinguished flying Cross earned june in Al Iraq by Geoff Ziezulewicz stars and stripes valor rarely takes place in a bub Marine corps William Chesarek understands make no Hes Hon ored that he received Britain distinguished flying Cross the equivalent to the american Silver Star in from Queen Elizabeth no but his actions in aiding British soldiers in and risking his own hide to get a wounded Soldier out of harms we rent All his own making or Ever part of his i dont think anybody joins up to win medals or anything like said a helicopter Pilot who was providing support for British ground forces during an operation in the City of Al Tamarah last when things took an unexpected its not something that Guys seek Chesarek certainly didst think a Queens commendation was coming his Way when he set out from the British base on the night of june As part of a military Exchange Chesarek was deployed with British troops around the Southern City of that in his Lynx ah7 and with British Royal Navy David Williams and British Royal Marine Lance Max Carter in the cockpit with Chesarek set out to keep about 100 British soldiers with the 20th armoured brigade Courtesy of William Chesarek Marine corps William Chesarek was awarded Britain distinguished flying Cross the equivalent to the american Silver Star from Queen Elizabeth supported As they looked for an insurgent weapons As the operation stretched into the morning and the soldiers prepared to leave the a ground vehicle became and insurgents took it kind of delayed the and now its going from night to Chesarek they started taking More fire As while Chesarek and his Guys in the air tried to find the sources of the insurgent attacks he estimated it was the work of five to 10 groups of men civilians started emerging to see the making it More difficult for the helicopter to sin Gle out and fire Back at the there were a couple different Chesarek i think the insurgents were using them and hiding behind As the summer Sun climbed higher into the Clear iraqi attacks on the marooned ground forces and one British Soldier was shot in the Chesarek and his Crew landed and evacuated the during the Chesarek also Drew enemy fire away from the ground troops and called in air support that helped Dis Perse the insurgents during the As the chopper pulled away from the an Reg whizzed by the i remember looking behind me in the face of my door gunner and laughing briefly at the expression on his face after that barely Chesarek Chesarek said he Doest recall any hesitation during that just the need to make sure his Crew had their Heads on theres always the concern that the distance of a helicopter from the ground can Lessen the urgency of the event going on he oftentimes you get removed with the Din of the Chesarek you dont Deal with the All you hear is that despite his Chesarek said that the brits with Williams and Lance were not recognized for their and that bothers i think it woul Dve been he i guess sometimes youre in the right place at the right time and youre Able to make a for each theres 20 other instances where some thing just As special it Doest get email Geoff Ziezulewicz at