[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 40 (Tuesday, March 19, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E334-E335]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 RESOLUTION RECOMMENDING THE POSTHUMOUS AWARD OF THE MEDAL OF HONOR TO 
                        SERGEANT RAFAEL PERALTA

                                  _____
                                 

                          HON. XAVIER BECERRA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 19, 2013

  Mr. BECERRA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of a resolution 
recommending the posthumous award of the Medal of Honor to one of 
America's bravest soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice, Sergeant 
Rafael Peralta.
  Sgt. Peralta's story is the epitome of what makes America great 
generation after generation. After immigrating as a teenager with his 
family from Mexico to San Diego, Sgt. Peralta joined the Marines the 
first chance he was able to--the morning he received his green card. 
According to his mother, Rosa Peralta, Sgt. Peralta ``really loved this 
country'' and loved being a Marine. In fact, he passed along his love 
for the Marines to his brother, Ricardo, who kept a promise he made at 
his brother's funeral by enlisting in the Marines Corps in 2010.
  In 2004, Sgt. Peralta was killed during a house-clearing mission in 
Fallujah, Iraq. According to news reports, during a firefight with 
insurgents, a fragment from a friendly-fire bullet ricocheted and 
struck Sgt. Peralta in the back of his head. According to eyewitness 
accounts from fellow Marines who were at the scene, Sgt. Peralta, 
despite his mortal wound, pulled an enemy grenade under his body and 
absorbed the ensuing blast. By doing so, he saved the lives of an 
estimated six of his fellow Marines.
  Each of the armed services has provisions for judging whether an 
individual is eligible for the Medal of Honor--which permit no margin 
of doubt or error. Historically, the individual's action must be 
supported by incontestable evidence of at least two eyewitnesses. In 
Sgt. Peralta's case, seven eyewitnesses confirmed that he smothered the 
grenade blast with his body. Even though a pathologist report 
questioned whether Sgt. Peralta could have deliberately brought the 
grenade to his body due to his wound, separate analyses by three 
neurologists opined otherwise. His Navy Cross citation, the second 
highest American military decoration that can be awarded to a Marine, 
says it all: ``Without hesitation and with complete disregard for his 
own personal safety, Sergeant Peralta reached out and pulled the 
grenade to his body, absorbing the brunt of the blast and shielding 
fellow Marines only feet away.
  Sgt. Peralta exemplified and lived the values Americans hold dear: 
honor, duty, and dedication to his country. In a letter written right 
before his death, Sgt. Peralta told his brother, ``I'm proud to be a 
Marine, a U.S. Marine, and to defend and protect the freedom and 
Constitution of America. You should be proud of being an American 
citizen.''
  Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this resolution 
and recommend the posthumous award of the Medal of Honor to a true 
American hero, Sgt. Rafael Peralta.

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