Bronze Star Awarded to Army Hero
by admin on Jul.02, 2009, under Combat, Rescues
Army Sgt. Justin A. Cooper didn’t think he did anything special when he rescued fellow team member Michael Brown from a burning truck during a hand grenade attack in Mosul.
“I didn’t have to think. I just reacted,” said Cooper yesterday. “In training it was always my car that was hit, so I knew exactly what to do, how to react.”
Michael Brown certainly thinks Cooper is a hero, and I would have to say when Cooper was awarded the Bronze Star (complete with a V device for valor) he completely deserved it.
On Oct. 16, 2007, Cooper and his squad were leaving the Al Rashidayah Local Police Station in Mosul when an antiarmor hand grenade exploded in their truck, according to the Army. The driver tried to push through but only traveled 15 to 20 feet before the vehicle caught fire and filled with smoke.
Cooper evacuated his squad, and heard Pfc. Michael Brown yell that he couldn’t feel his foot, the Army said. Cooper ran back into the burning truck and pulled Brown out, away from the blaze. He applied a tourniquet to Brown’s leg and helped his squad get to safety. Read on…
