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December 17, 2004
Sgt. Rafael Peralta
Drawing from his experiences during the Civil War, General William T. Sherman famously stated to a group of cadets "War is Hell". Not only is this true for the young soldiers who fight to defend our freedom, but as the story of Sgt. Rafael Peralta demonstrates, it is also true for those they leave behind. It is thus important to acknowledge what these soldiers and families are going through.
Take some time and read a few of these accounts of this brave individual's life and the struggles of his family here, here, and here. Truly a tragic situation. Here is a description of how his life ended while securing Fallujah:
Sgt. Rafael Peralta, 25, was a platoon scout, which meant he could have stayed back in safety while the squads of 1st Platoon went into the danger filled streets, but he was constantly asking to help out by giving them an extra Marine. I learned by speaking with him and other Marines the night before that he frequently put his safety, reputation and career on the line for the needs and morale of the junior Marines around him. A Mexican-American who lived in San Diego, Peralta earned his citizenship after he joined the Marine Corps. In an act living up to the heroes of the Marine Corps’ past, such as Medal of Honor recipients Pfc. James LaBelle and Lance Cpl. Richard Anderson, Peralta – in his last fleeting moments of consciousness- reached out and pulled the grenade into his body. LaBelle fought on Iwo Jima and Anderson in Vietnam, both died saving their fellow Marines by smothering the blast of enemy grenades. His selflessness left four other Marines with only minor injuries from smaller fragments of the grenade.
In Oliver North's article I found this paragraph particularly interesting:
Peralta was proud to serve his adopted country. In his parent’s home, on his bedroom walls hung only three items - a copy of the United States Constitution, the Bill of Rights and his boot camp graduation certificate. Before he set out for Fallujah, he wrote to his 14-year old brother, “be proud of me, bro…and be proud of being an American.”
How many young adults even take the time to read the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, let alone commemorate them as such? Very impressive.
I was directed to Oliver North's tribute to Peralta over at SayAnythingBlog. It's a little ironic that they should be paying him such a tribute given their opposition to "illegal" immigration combined with the fact that Peralta was attending high school in the U.S. without a green card.
Our immigration laws need to be reformed to help more good people like Rafael Peralta the chance to take part in the American Dream. The last time Rafael spoke to his mother, before November 2nd, he predicted that President Bush would win re-election. The President would do his memory honor by following through on his campaign promise of reforming our backwards immigration laws.
Hat Tip: Thanks to Christian Carrillo for directing me to the link. He has a great comment on the SayAnything post as well. Here is Carrillo's comment reprinted in full:
Mr. Peralta was from San Diego, having said that the Union Tribune of San Diego has an in depth article about Mr. Peraltas Heroism and his family.
It is funny how all of a sudden a Mexican immigrant, decendant of an illegal mother and legal father is now a hero. Rafael Peralta did not speak a word of English when he arrived into this country. He has proven beyond a doubt that he assimilated very well, which is something anti immigration people like blab about. So much that he had the constitution hanging in his own bedroom.
A few blogs ago, illegals were the worst species on earth who had no rights in the U.S. Now a Mexican descendant who did not become a citizen until after the age of 18 is a hero. I think we should all stop being cowards like Bill O’rielly and not have double standards. If an immigrant, legal or not, wants to come into this country to work, or even to serve in a military position they should not be held back. I believe this only shows that our immigration policy is horrible and the current solution does not work. I am not suggesting an open border policy in no means, but what I am suggestion is a humane approach, where the Mrs. Peraltas can come into this country and start a new life as an American. Her persistence to come illegally gave us a national hero. I am sure there are many Rafael Peraltas out there, and today I thank them and salute them for their bravery and honor. But most importantly I am proud to call them an American.
Posted by Peter Mork at December 17, 2004 12:38 PM
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