more of a hero than Bill O'Reilly or even Sean Hannity

[realthog]

. . . or, indeed, all of the current crop of tough-talkin' political and media chickenhawks put together, the ones who imagine they're showing guts by insisting other people should be slaughtered. The Beeb has this report tonight of someone who possesses actual courage:

A Royal Marine who threw himself onto an exploding grenade to save the lives of his patrol has been put forward for the UK's highest military honour.

Lance Corporal Matt Croucher, 24, a reservist from Birmingham, survived because his rucksack and body armour took the force of the blast. . . . 

L/Cpl Croucher, a member of 40 Commando, had been searching a compound south of Sangin which was suspected as being used for making bombs to attack British and Afghan troops.

When a Taleban booby-trap grenade was tripped, L/Cpl Croucher jumped on to the device to absorb the force of the explosion with his backpack as his comrades dived for cover.

The blast blew his rucksack more than 30ft away but he remarkably suffered only severe shock and a bloodied nose in the incident. . . .

That's heroism. It's a lot more heroic than bullying the powerless, shouting down college students, or using Rupert Murdoch's countless millions and the Faux News organization to persecute those who disagree with you. And it's a lot more heroic than prancing around in a combat jacket under a sign that says "Mission Accomplished".

The full story's at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk_news/england/west_midlands/7321647.stm. I cannot really express how much I admire the courage of Matt Croucher.

Comments

[louismaistros.livejournal.com]

This is the sort of superhuman heroism that I normally associate with WW2. Thank you for sharing, it helps redeem my faith in humanity a bit (tattered of late). More importantly, I'm thrilled that Lance Corpral Croucher actually survived. I'm sure he assumed he wouldn't and couldn't possibly, and I'm glad as hell he was wrong.

[realthog.livejournal.com]

"I'm sure he assumed he wouldn't and couldn't possibly, and I'm glad as hell he was wrong."

My guess is it must have been one of those spur-of-the-moment affairs where he didn't even have the time to consider his own survival -- he just did the "obviously right" thing.

[louismaistros.livejournal.com]

I'm sure you're right that it was a knee jerk reaction, but still, not one that most would have had. In that split second I suspect a part of him understoond the consequences of throwing himself on a bomb. Absolutely amazing!

[realthog.livejournal.com]

My remark wasn't intended to detract in the slightest from his bravery. In the fraction of a second he had to decide, he reflexively did the right thing -- where, as you say, most of us would not have.

[realthog.livejournal.com]

"helps redeem my faith in humanity a bit (tattered of late)"

Oh, and I meant to say: Ditto, and ditto.

[quilterbear.livejournal.com]

I am so touched, so very profoundly moved by this story of heroism. All I can really say is ditto, ditto, ditto....