Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Cpl. Jason Dunham's 'Gift of Valor'

One day in April 2004, Cpl. Jason Dunham and his men were patrolling an insurgent stronghold near the Syrian border when an Iraqi leapt out and grabbed the 22-year-old Marine around the neck. Dunham, seeing his attacker had dropped a live grenade, snatched off his helmet and put it over the explosive.

The helmet did help blunt the explosion — and saved the lives of others. But Dunham suffered serious injuries from flying shrapnel. Eight days later, he died from his wounds. His actions earned him a Medal of Honor nomination.

In a new book, Wall Street Journal reporter Michael Phillips chronicles the incident, and the effort to save Dunham's life. Michele Norris talks to Phillips about Dunham's story.

Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.