Marine of the Week // Shot In Neck, Keeps Fighting

#MARINE OF THE WEEK // SHOT IN NECK, KEEPS FIGHTING:

Lance Cpl. Cody Goebel
3rd Battalion, 5th Marines
Sangin, Afghanistan, Nov. 22, 2010
Award: Silver Star

While in Afghanistan’s Helmand province, Lance Cpl. Goebel was manning a security position in the southern Green Zone of Sangin District when he was struck in the neck by enemy small arms fire. Knocked to the ground and severely wounded at his post, he quickly picked himself up, remounted his machine gun, and engaged the enemy’s firing position with full knowledge that his position was critical to his squad’s defense. For seven minutes, he ignored his life threatening wounds and delivered devastating machine gun fire on the enemy’s position, all while refusing medical attention until he was properly relieved. Finally, but only after a fellow squad member had manned his machine gun, Goebel moved 25 meters under his own power and under heavy fire across the observation post’s roof and down a 20-foot ladder to the casualty collection point. Upon reaching the ground, he collapsed due to the loss of blood and had to be carried to a helicopter landing zone for subsequent medical evacuation. His courage, heroism, and dedication to duty after sustaining a life threatening injury resulted in the successful blocking of an enemy attack and six enemy fighters killed. (U.S. Marines photos by Sgt. Timothy Lenzo)