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Hero: Eric Browy

Eric Browy
Eric’s first tour of duty in Iraq lasted from March 2003 to March 2004. Eric’s unit was part of an operation that took the town of Taj and held it during this period. The unit did many missions and patrols, provided security for rocket systems, and set up and manned operations posts (OPs). Engaging in any number of firefights with insurgents and foreign fighters, Eric’s unit sustained nine killed in action, as well as four wounded. Three Bradleys assigned to his unit hit improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
During his second tour of duty in Iraq, which began in December 2005, Eric served as a scout in the southern part of Baghdad, doing patrols, OPs, and other scouting tasks. In March 2006, Eric was setting up observation posts. He was walking atop a wall 25 feet above the ground, carrying 80 pounds of gear while, at the same time, keeping track of a suspicious guy on the ground through his night vision goggles. He missed a step, falling from the wall and severely damaging both feet.
A helicopter took him to an Army hospital in Baghdad. From there he was flown to the Army’s Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany, where he stabilized for a week. He then went to Walter Reed Army Medical Center, where his right leg was amputated below the knee. Because his left foot was so severely damaged, amputation of great toe and ball of that foot was also required.
Eric had ten surgeries in all.
Eric received medical retirement from the Army on December 28, 2006.

Hero: Sergeant Ezequiel Mora

One of the Baghdad neighborhoods covered by Sergeant Ezequiel Mora’s patrol in May of 2007 was Hurriyah, a hotbed of militia activity. While passing through Hurriyah, Mora’s four Humvee convoy was attacked. An explosively formed penetrator, the most lethal type of roadside bomb, went off just as insurgents fired on the convoy with small arms.
The EFP had caused catastrophic damage to the vehicle in the rear of the column, which had the platoon medic and convoy commander in it. He directed his vehicle to be turned around to the disabled and burning Humvee. Ignoring the heavy volume of hostile fire, he leapt out to assist the trapped soldiers. He bravely attempted to rescue the gunner of the Humvee, though temporarily overcome by smoke inhalation he recovered and joined another soldier in continuing the rescue. While doing so, he noticed the platoon’s medic on the ground, badly wounded and Mora immediately began administering first aid. Once another soldier relieved him, Mora moved to the other side of the Humvee to cover his fellow soldiers.
It was then that he noticed that the gunner from the Humvee was finally free, but was bleeding heavily from his left leg. Mora swiftly applied a tourniquet to the leg to stop the bleeding. Realizing that they were in an exposed position, Mora and another sergeant took turns carrying the wounded gunner to safety, all while under fire from the insurgents. When reinforcements arrived, Mora helped to successfully evacuate the gunner to the Green Zone for medical care.
Because of his courageous actions and steadfast determination, Sergeant Ezequiel Mora helped save the lives of several of his fellow soldiers and as a result, was awarded the Bronze Star with Valor.