Bronze Star Recipient
Jean-Paul Courville |
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In April
2004,
Gunnery
Sergeant
Jean-Paul
Courville
not only
proved
his
leadership
skills
but also
his
courage
and
tactical
abilities
as he
led a
team
during
battles
in
Karmah
Iraq.
The New
Orleans
native
was
responsible
for
providing
ammunition
and
water
resupply
to K
Company,
3rd
Battalion,
4th
Marine
Regiment,
First
Marine
Division
in
Fallujah/Karmah.
However,
during
several
hours of
fighting
to
suppress
and
destroy
enemy
fighters
with
F-15
Eagle
20mm gun
runs
that
were
dangerously
close,
Courville
fearlessly
led a
team of
heavy
machine
gun high
mobility
multi-purpose
wheeled
vehicles
and two
amphibious
armored
vehicles
to
support
Company
K with
casualty
evacuation
and
machine
gun
fires.
With
this
success
in al
Karmah,
the
urban
combat
was far
from
over.
Courville
repeatedly
entered
the most
dangerous
areas of
the
battle
to
provide
support,
direct
machinegun
fire,
ammunition,
and
water
resupply.
On April
13,
during
more
than
eight
hours of
fierce
urban
fighting,
four
fellow
Marines
were
shot and
a
reinforced
squad
was
thrown
from
their
overturned
7-ton
vehicle.
During
the
ensuing
battle,
Courville
personally
rescued
the
squad
during
the
night
insertion.
He led
the team
through
more
than 200
enemy
fighters
to
conduct
four
separate
missions
to
evacuate
Marines
wounded
during
the
fighting.
His bold
action
and
rapid
care
under
fire
enabled
all
Marines
to
survive
even
though
helicopter
evacuation
was not
feasible.
Kilo
Company
(reinforced)
was then
tasked
to
attack
and
clear
into
the
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eastern
flank of the city of al
Fallujah. Manpower was short
but Courville was undaunted.
He assumed the difficult
dual role as Company
first sergeant and Company
gunnery sergeant and was
instrumental in preparing
the Company for the task.
Approximately 500 meters
into the city, Kilo Company
encountered an entrenched
enemy who was determined to
fight to the end. During an
extensive battle with this
enemy, Courville disregarded
his own safety as he ensured
his fellow Marines were
adequately supplied with
ammunition, water and
motivation. |
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Later during the
assault, Courville saw a family trapped within a building that was
covered with flames and smoke. Somehow the family, weakly waving a
white flag from a window, had managed to survive. He quickly
assessed the situation as desperate and led his team to the burning
building to lead the family to safety one by one. Bringing up the
rear, Gunnery Sergeant Courville picked up two of the children and
sprinted across the danger area that was regularly raked by enemy
machine gun fire.
For these heroic achievements, Gunnery Sergeant Courville received
the Bronze Star Medal Combat Distinguishing Device.
Excerpt from Bronze Star citation
| Photo and information courtesy of US
Marines /
Dept. of Defense |
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Bronze Star Recipients |
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