My Take
Michael Monsoor is one of those people whose story stops you cold the moment you hear it. A kid from Long Beach, California who became a Navy SEAL, and on September 29, 2006, during the Battle of Ramadi, a grenade landed on the roof where he and his teammates were positioned. He could have rolled off the roof and survived. Instead, he threw himself on it. He died about 30 minutes later, but his teammates lived. He was 25 years old. The Medal of Honor he received posthumously is the highest military decoration the United States awards, and it's given out extraordinarily rarely — and almost never for something this clear-cut and deliberate. I don't have a clever take here. Some people just make a choice in a single second that says everything about who they are, and Michael Monsoor made his.
Overview
Michael Anthony Monsoor (April 5, 1981 – September 29, 2006) was a United States Navy SEAL who was killed in Operation Iraqi Freedom during the Battle of Ramadi when he dove onto a grenade to shield his fellow SEALs, sacrificing his own life. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Michael A. Monsoor
- Name (Japanese)
- マイケル・A・モンスーア
- Reading
- まいける・A・もんすーあ
- Born
- April 5, 1981 – September 29, 2006
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Aries / Rooster
- Origin
- Long Beach, California, United States
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- military personnel
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Garden Grove High School
- University
- Private
Awards & achievements
- Bronze Star Medal
- Medal of Honor
- Purple Heart
- Silver Star
- Combat Action Ribbon
- Good Conduct Medal
- Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
- Iraq Campaign Medal
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.