My Men are My Heroes (38 page)

His doctor urged him not to run, warning that he would risk further setbacks and long-term degeneration of his damaged leg. Kasal feels he had no choice: “To me it's about having that sense of normalcy back. And now that I'm back in uniform and once again leading Marines, it's also about setting an example.”

Impressions can be misleading, however. Most people who see him get the impression that he's almost back to 100 percent. “In reality I'm about 40 percent of what I used to be,” he confides. His pride and legendary toughness help him hide most of the difficulties, and he refuses to show pain or even discomfort.

“Some may call that macho or stubborn,” he admits, “but it's just a way of accepting and dealing with my injuries and moving on—and trying to be as normal as I can.

“The truth is, I will always have pain, limited use of my right leg, and a limp. My ankle doesn't move and I can't lift my right foot. The circulation is bad in my lower leg due to the trauma and loss of veins, which causes swelling and discomfort. I get frequent migraines from the concussion and effects of the blast, and my hearing is shot.”

Kasal is quick to add, however: “As bad as things may seem, they could always be worse; for more than a year the outlook was that I would never recover to the level I have.”

Beyond that, Kasal has adopted a wait-and-see attitude for the time being. “I have to wait for the next couple of years to pass so I can find out if I will be able to deploy again,” he says hopefully. “I want to be able to return to the operating forces.”

That goal requires a return to full mobility if not full strength. Yet Kasal is determined to get back to combat duty with his beloved Corps. “I won't stay in unless I am capable of being deployed like any other Marine,” he insists. “I've got two years to find out.” At the time of this writing, he is overseeing Marine Corps recruiting efforts in the upper midwest, based in his home state of Iowa.

Dr. Girard thinks that Kasal may be an exception to the unkind fate that befalls many such men and women who have been injured so severely. Even so, Girard worries that Kasal will never reach the pinnacle of fitness he occupied before he was shot down at Fallujah. The human body simply doesn't make exceptions for people no matter how hard they try. If Kasal succeeds he will have beaten all the odds.

“He has done extremely well,” Girard says. “But for him to be able to return to what he was doing before he was injured—as far as the running and wearing packs and leading people and doing what he was doing—is probably unrealistic. It is hard to imagine that on that leg, that ankle, and that foot he is going to be able to do what he did before.”

Kasal isn't so sure. It is against his nature to give up and he doesn't intend to start now.

“I am not yet back to what I used to be, but it is better now. I am going for 100 percent. That is my goal. Will I get there? Who knows? Nobody thought I would get this far, so who is to say I won't get to 100 percent eventually? What I tell young Marines or soldiers or anyone else in this situation is this:

• “One, do not be afraid to ask for help because there are a lot of people out there who want to help.

• “Two, don't be afraid to talk about what you are thinking and doing because depression is going to set in no matter how strong you are. It happens to everyone at some point. It may be for 10 minutes or it may be for 10 days, or it may be the whole process. But everybody is going to get depressed sometime. Don't think you are abnormal for that; talk to somebody.

• “Three, listen to what the doctors tell you, but know that it is all on you also. You are going to succeed or fail based on your own willpower. How bad you want it is going to dictate how much you get back. Whether you will ever be back to 100 percent, who knows? But how good you want to get depends on you.”

On May 1, 2006, in a ceremony at Camp Pendleton, Brad Kasal stood at rigid attention in front of his beloved 3/1 Marines while Major General Michael R. Lehnert, Commanding General of Marine Corps Installations West, awarded him the Navy Cross. It is the nation's second-highest decoration, behind only the Medal of Honor, and as of this writing, only 14 Navy Crosses have been awarded for heroism since the end of the Vietnam War.

Attending the ceremony were the 1st Marine Division's past and present commanding generals, Lieutenant General James N. Mattis and Major General Richard F. Natonski, the architects of the campaign leading to Fallujah. Their presence alone was high praise indeed.

Kasal's citation is brief and to the point—the way he likes things, he says. It reads:

The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to First Sergeant Bradley A. Kasal, United States Marine Corps, for service as set forth in the following citation:

For extraordinary heroism while serving as First Sergeant, Weapons Company, 3d Battalion, 1 st Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 1, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Central Command in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM on 13 November 2004.

First Sergeant Kasal was assisting 1st Section, Combined Anti-Armor Platoon as they provided a traveling overwatch for 3d Platoon when he heard a large volume of fire erupt to his immediate front, shortly followed by Marines rapidly exiting a structure. When First Sergeant Kasal learned that Marines were pinned down inside the house by an unknown number of enemy personnel, he joined a squad making entry to clear the structure and rescue the Marines inside.

He made entry into the first room, immediately encountering and eliminating an enemy insurgent, as he spotted a wounded Marine in the next room. While moving towards the wounded Marine Sergeant Kasal and another Marine came under heavy rifle fire from an elevated enemy firing position and were both severely wounded in the legs, immobilizing them. When insurgents threw grenades in an attempt to eliminate the wounded Marines, he rolled on top of his fellow Marine and absorbed the shrapnel with his own body.

When First Sergeant Kasal was offered medical attention and extraction, he refused until the other Marines were given medical attention. Although severely wounded himself, he shouted encouragement to his fellow Marines as they continued to clear the structure.

By his bold leadership, wise judgment, and complete dedication to duty, First Sergeant Kasal reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service.

After pinning on the medal, shaking Kasal's hand, and offering a few brief remarks, Lehnert concluded the ceremony.

“Some may call a basketball player a hero for scoring the winning goal or a celebrity for donating a small portion of their earnings to a good cause,” Lehnert said, “but Kasal is a true American hero.”

I would like to thank the countless friends, fellow Marines, people, and organizations who have helped me during my long and difficult recovery from the wounds I received on November 13, 2004. I want to thank our nation's leaders for allowing us to take the fight to the enemy versus on our own soil; my fellow Marines and our Navy corpsman brothers I've served with over the past many years; and the Navy nurses who worked round the clock to provide care while I was hospitalized. Most of all I thank the members of the 3d Battalion, 1st Marines, and all service members worldwide who are serving overseas locating, closing with, and destroying the enemy while keeping the wolf away from the door and maintaining our freedom.

After serving 19 of my last 21 years of service in an infantry unit, I've served beside some of the finest men I've ever known. Their heroism, courage, and selfless sacrifices truly make them the next greatest generation. While serving this last time in Iraq I witnessed young Marines who would one day watch their buddy
become a serious casualty and the next day go right back out on patrol without any hesitation. And to watch young 20-something NCOs step up and serve in billets usually reserved for a rank of one and sometimes two higher in a stressful combat situation was phenomenal. Marines by the names of Sergeant Comeau, Sergeant Carter, Sergeant Monohan, Sergeant Martinez, Sergeant Hankins, and many others achieved tasks of great stress and responsibility time and again over a very tense and dangerous combat tour. I remember many times going out with them on different missions and wondering “Where do we get these fine men?”

I'd watch these young Marines perform and my chest would swell with pride as a father's would for his sons. The Marines I had the pleasure to serve beside—in CAAT Platoon and 81s Platoon, Weapons Co., 3/1—were the best, and I cherish the time I had with them. I miss them dearly and these men are the reason I love the Corps so much. I truly had the best job in the world.

Even more amazing were the young PFCs and lance corporals who threw themselves into harm's way only for the love of their fellow Marines and who assumed greater responsibilities when the situation dictated. My company had our 81mm mortar platoon split up to provide approximately 18 to 20 Marines at two different Iraqi National Guard compounds. The Marines' responsibility was to train more than 200 fresh Iraqi troops in infantry tactics, MOUT (Military Operations on Urban Terrain), and marksmanship skills so they could take over security of their own country. I would make constant trips out to each ING (Iraqi National Guard) compound in order to check on my Marines and go along with them on whatever missions they were assigned to conduct with the Iraqi National Guard troops.

The responsibility fell upon a handful of NCOs and mostly junior Marines to train these Iraqi soldiers. It is a testament to
the caliber of these young PFCs and lance corporals who were 0341 mortarmen and fresh out of their own infantry training as they taught 0311 basic rifleman skills to the Iraqi soldiers as if they were seasoned and veteran NCOs. These were young men with names such as Gomez, Perez, Lu, Jensen, Roiger, and many more. Across the entire battalion, wherever I went as I traveled throughout our area of operations, I saw Marines and our Navy corpsmen performing meritorious and heroic acts of courage and selfless sacrifice. I also saw daily examples of how leadership in combat was vital to the success of the mission.

As combat is inherently dangerous to everyone involved, I believe in leading from the front and placing myself in the same danger and hardship as even the most junior troops when the situation allows. This enables me to keep things in perspective and never forget what they're experiencing and to learn more about my Marines and provide them with reassurance. Having your Marines see you endure the same conditions as they are will lift their spirits in even the hardest of times. I enjoyed time with any Marines, and I figured I could lead by a radio farther back or I could lead by a radio with my Marines.

As a senior Marine leader I was also cautious not to get too involved. I wasn't there to run the squad, platoon, or section. I was there to be with my Marines. So I would become just another rifleman and let the team leader do his job. Afterward when we returned from a mission, I would then pull the young leader aside—separate from his Marines—and give him any input I had. It was also important to be consistent in going out even during the late night or on seemingly boring missions, not just the high-profile ones. In doing so the Marines welcomed my presence and the subordinate leaders never felt threatened or as if they were being overly supervised. Although I was involved in countless large-scale combat operations at the company and battalion level, it was the opportunity to go out on these smaller missions,
led by a young staff sergeant or other NCO, that I enjoyed the most. I will never forget the young Marines I served with in Weapons Co. I was blessed with SNCOs such as Staff Sergeants Mortimer, Fox, Lopez, and Viklund and Gunnery Sergeants Wade and Christiansen who made my job as a first sergeant easy.

Leading from the front does have its risks, however. The day I was wounded I certainly didn't start out thinking I should kick in a door and engage practically hand-to-hand with the enemy. However as I was with my Marines going street by street and house by house, upon learning that wounded Marines were trapped inside a building with terrorists, I knew every second counted. So several other Marines and I charged forward rather than waiting for someone else. To this day many consider it a miracle that I lived after the severe blood loss and trauma caused by seven gunshot wounds and several dozen shrapnel wounds. I simply see it as just the love for a fellow Marine and a little bit of toughness and stubbornness