Cdt. Collin P.

Zelli
4/6/2015
Medal of Honor Essay
MSG. Hall
Dakota Meyer Medal of Honor Recipient
Battle: In the Battle of Ganjgal, US Marines and Soldiers worked with the Afghani forces
and fought against the Taliban in the Kunar Province of Afghanistan. The enemy was able to pick
up 13 friendly casualties, 5 of which were American. Coalition forces managed to pick off at
least 16 Taliban Operatives. This battle was initiated by the Taliban forces after they opened up
machine gun, small arms, and RPG fire on the US and allied forces moving through the valley.
Air support and artillery were called in to aid the ground forces who were overwhelmed by more
than one hundred Taliban operatives, but the new Rules of Engagement restricted this because
the strikes could have taken out too many non-combatants. The team then requested smoke to be
dropped to cover their position and an hour after the request, white phosphorus was dropped and
the team and Afghani team were allowed to retreat back under the cover of the smoke.
Leadership/Event: United States Marine Corps Sgt. Dakota Meyer earned the
Congressional Medal of Honor for his service in the Kunar Province, Afghanistan, in 2009 in the
Battle of Ganjgal. Meyer lead several others into extremely hostile and dangerous territory to
recover four missing men, all of which were found dead, disarmed, and without their radios. He
courageously ventured into extremely hostile enemy territory undergoing intense enemy fire for
the off chance that the four missing men could still be alive. Corporal Meyer was did not fail
under pressure; he offered up himself and did everything in his power to save his comrades. One
can say his mission was successful, despite the fact that there were over a dozen casualties taken
and there was much difficulty with extraction. Corporal Meyer did everything he could and
saved his comrades and prevented further casualties with his daring and brave actions.

Despite the fact that they were dead, Meyer still would have gone in because he stayed
true to the idea of never leaving anyone behind; whether they are alive or dead. Meyer brought
the men - the dead, wounded, and the healthy - out of the killbox for a safer extraction zone.
Meyer was completely exposed as the gunner and maintained a steady rate of outgoing fire
toward the enemy without regard for his own life or safety. He provided enough suppressive fire
to keep death from reaching out and touching his comrades but he managed to redirect it towards
the Taliban in that he even killed some enemies at extremely short ranges. Meyer made more
than one trip to the enemy position, he went in five times to get the men out. The entire six hour
battle was characterized by heavy enemy fire and a courageous group of Marines that wanted to
make sure their brothers would be safe. In this same battle, US Army Captain William H.
Swenson also earned the Medal of Honor for his actions. He exposed himself and made himself
visible with a bright cloth to attract medevac (as well as enemy fire) trying to find and evacuate
the wounded. He is the first Officer since the Vietnam War and fifth living soldier to receive the
Medal of Honor.
Background: Dakota Meyer was born on June 26, 1988 and was raised on Columbia,
Kentucky. He enlisted in the Marine Corps in 2006. In 2007 he deployed to Fallujah with 3rd
Battalion, 3rd Marines as a scout sniper. Dakota Meyer suffered severe PTSD and attempted
suicide with a Glock. He is the only living Marine since the Vietnam War to receive the Medal of
Honor. Dakota Meyer was recently engaged to Bristol Palin. Dakota Meyer has lead others well
and will continue to be a true leader in America as he pursues his goal of obtaining a
governmental position.
Works Cited
"Dakota Meyer." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 03 Apr. 2015.

Battle of Ganjgal. Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web 03 Apr. 2015