A life saver

San Diego Union-Tribune:

In a war marred by prisoner-abuse scandals and rife with political wrangling, Nathaniel R. Leoncio's heroic actions in Iraq are the pure stuff of legend.

Leoncio, a 24-year-old corpsman, received the Bronze Star yesterday at Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton.

The Navy petty officer third class was on patrol with Marines in southern Ramadi on Oct. 4 when they were struck by a series of roadside bombs. The explosives killed one Marine and seriously injured three other men, including Leoncio.

At least two of the bombs detonated under the 6-ton Humvee that carried Leoncio, flipping it upside down and on top of him, severing his right leg just below the knee.

Although his right thighbone was shattered and he was bleeding internally, Leoncio refused to be evacuated. He ignored his wounds and cared for a severely injured Marine, likely saving the man's life.

Lt. Bradley Watson, who was riding with Leoncio and would later write the recommendation letter for the corpsman's medal from his hospital bed, said: “It was one of the most outstanding combat actions I saw, if not the most outstanding. I saw my two combat tours of Iraq. I have no hesitation in saying that.

“Doc Leoncio knew he was very seriously injured,” Watson said. “He was spitting up blood, he had shrapnel in his stomach, and he had lost so much blood. He had every right to be worried about his own injures, but he wasn't.

Amid the chaos of the attack, Watson yelled for a corpsman.

“And (Leoncio) said, 'Why are you calling for a corpsman when you have one right here?' ” Watson recalled. “It was funny and inspiring at the same time.”

So he wouldn't bleed to death, Leoncio calmly told a Marine to tie a tourniquet on his injured leg. As he gave the instructions, Leoncio treated a platoon commander who was bleeding profusely from a fist-sized shrapnel wound in his hip.

Capt. Rory Quinn, who was riding in a Humvee behind Leoncio's, described what it took to get the corpsman to leave the scene.

“We had to lie to Doc and tell him that all the Marines had been taken off the battlefield before he would allow himself to be moved,” said Quinn, who knew that a Marine was still trapped in a wrecked Humvee.

“He won't brag on himself,” Quinn added, “so I have to do it for him.”

Ten minutes elapsed before Leoncio believed that all the injured were receiving proper care. Then he allowed others to evacuate him. He was sent to Germany and then the United States for long-term care and rehabilitation.

...

There is more. The courage of the Navy Corpmen who treat the Marines battle wounds is remarkable.