Corporal Jason Lee Dunham, A Marine's Story
Corporal Jason Lee Dunham, A Marine's Story
Corporal Jason Lee Dunham was born on November 10, 1981, in Scio, New York. He attended Scio High School, where he was a dedicated basketball player, graduating in 2000. Shortly after graduation, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps, choosing military service at a time when the nation was entering a new era of conflict.
After initial training, Dunham was assigned to Kings Bay, Georgia, before deploying to Iraq in early 2004 with the 7th Marine Regiment. His unit operated in an increasingly volatile environment, conducting patrols and convoy security missions as part of ongoing combat operations during the War on Terror.
On April 14, 2004, while supporting a Marine convoy under attack near Karabilah, Iraq, Corporal Dunham and his team engaged enemy combatants in close quarters. As the situation escalated, one of the attackers dropped a live grenade into the position occupied by Dunham and several other Marines. Without hesitation, Dunham attempted to cover the grenade with his helmet and body in an effort to shield his fellow Marines from the blast.
The explosion caused catastrophic injuries. Corporal Dunham was evacuated and transported to the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, where he died from his wounds on April 22, 2004.
For his actions, Corporal Jason Lee Dunham was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, recognizing his extraordinary courage and selfless sacrifice in the face of mortal danger.
Corporal Dunham is buried at Fairlawn Cemetery in Scio, New York. His legacy continues in the United States Navy with the commissioning of the USS Jason Dunham (DDG-109), an Arleigh Burke–class guided-missile destroyer named in his honor.
He is remembered not only for the manner of his death, but for the choice he made in an instant—to place the lives of others above his own.
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About the Author
a.d. elliott is a wanderer, photographer, and storyteller traveling through life
She shares her journeys at Take the Back Roads, explores new reads at Rite of Fancy, and highlights U.S. military biographies at Everyday Patriot.
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