Local Marine Awarded Navy Cross

A 1991 Churville-Chili High School graduate has been awarded the Navy Cross for his service in Iraq. Twenty-eight year old Marine 1st Lt. Brian Chontosh from Rochester, New York and serving in the First Marine Expeditionary Force based in Camp Pendleton, California is credited with saving his platoon during a fierce firefight last year.

Lt. Chontosh received a citation letter describing his "complete disregard for his safety" and "unlimited courage," in a battle in which he killed more than 20 enemy soldiers in a "ferocious" and "audacious" attack.

The citation letter reads like a war novel. It described what happened on March 25, 2003, five days into the war, as U.S. troops were closing in on Baghdad.

Here are excerpts from the letter:

"Serving as a platoon commander in an armored Humvee with a .50-caliber machine gun mounted on top, Chontosh was caught in an ambush while traveling north on Highway 1 near ad-Diwaniyah, Iraq. His platoon came under heavy enemy fire from AK-47 assault rifles, machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades and mortars. An RPG struck one of his Humvees, killing one Marine and wounding another.

He realized they were in the kill zone of the ambush. He had his driver move the vehicle through a breach along his flank where he immediately came under fire from an entrenched machine gun. Without hesitation, 1st Lt. Chontosh ordered the driver to advance directly at the enemy position, enabling his .50 caliber machine gunner to silence the enemy at point-blank range.

He was still receiving fire. When he saw a trench line on his left, Chontosh had his driver drive his vehicle into the enemy trench. The lieutenant then got out of his vehicle with an M-16 in one hand and a 9 mm pistol in the other hand, and started working his way down the trench line, mowing-down unfrendlies as he went. When he exhausted his ammunition he picked-up a discarded enemy AK-47 and continued moving along the trench. After using all the rounds in that weapon he grabbed another Kalishnikov and continued on. Nearing the end of the trench, Lt. Chontosh spotted another 50-calibre machine gun emplacement. When a Marine following him found an enemy rocket propelled grenade launcher, Lt. Chontosh grabbed it, and used it to destroy the machine gun and its crew.

When his audacious attack ended, he had cleared over 200 meters of the enemy trench, killing more than 20 enemy soldiers and wounding several others. Miraculously, he was unhurt."

By his outstanding display of decisive leadership, unlimited courage in the face of heavy enemy fire, and utmost devotion to duty, 1st Lt. Chontosh reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service. For his "extraordinary heroism" Lt. Chontosh was awarded the Navy Cross, the Navy and Marine Corps second highest decoration. The medal was pinned-on by Commandant Hagee.

And where is the now Captain Chontosh?
Preparing to lead Marines back to Iraq.