Do you really support legal immigration, here's a stellar example of why you should...?

Question

I see a lot of people posting Q & A's saying they are only anti-illegal immigration. I myself am very anti-illegal immigration and very pro-legal immigration and here's why. This man did it right, followed the process and served this country in a way many native born Americans cant or wont. This is an example of a man who came here legally and bravely gave his life for his fellow Americans.

Sgt. Rafael Peralta, American Hero
Sgt. Rafael Peralta, American Hero
Everyone should know his name.


You probably don't know Rafael Peralta's name. If we lived in a country that more fully celebrated the heroics of its men in uniform, you would. He was a sergeant in Company A, 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment for Operation Dawn, the November offensive to retake the Iraqi city of Fallujah, which had become a haven for terrorists. What he did on the day of Nov. 15 was an awe-inspiring act of selfless sacrifice and faithfulness to his fellow Marines.




The only way we can honor Sgt. Peralta's heroism is to tell his story and remember his name. What follows is mostly drawn from the reporting of Marine combat correspondent Lance Cpl. T.J. Kaemmerer, who witnessed the events on that day.

Sgt. Peralta, 25, was a Mexican American. He joined the Marines the day after he got his green card and earned his citizenship while in uniform. He was fiercely loyal to the ethos

of the Corps. While in Kuwait, waiting to go into Iraq, he had his camouflage uniform sent out to be pressed. He constantly looked for opportunities to help his Marine brothers, which is why he ended up where he was on Nov. 15. A week into the battle for Fallujah, the Marines were still doing the deadly work of clearing the city, house by house. As a platoon scout, Peralta didn't have to go out with the assault team that day. He volunteered to go.

According to Kaemmerer, the Marines entered a house and kicked in the doors of two rooms that proved empty. But there was another closed door to an adjoining room. It was unlocked, and Peralta, in the lead, opened it. He was immediately hit with AK-47 fire in his face and upper torso by three insurgents. He fell out of the way into one of the cleared rooms to give his fellow Marines a clear shot at the enemy. During the firefight, a yellow fragmentation grenade flew out of the room, landing near Peralta and several fellow Marines.

The uninjured Marines tried to scatter out of the way, two of them trying to escape the room, but were blocked by a locked door. At that point, barely alive, Peralta grabbed the grenade and cradled it to his body.

His body took most of the blast. One Marine was seriously injured, but the rest sustained only minor shrapnel wounds. Cpl. Brannon Dyer told a reporter from the Army Times, "He saved half my fire team."

Kaemmerer compares Peralta's sacrifice to that of past Marine Medal of Honor winners Pfc. James LaBelle and Lance Cpl. Richard Anderson. LaBelle dove on a Japanese grenade to save two fellow Marines during the battle of Iwo Jima. Although he had just been wounded twice, Anderson rolled over an enemy grenade to save a fellow Marine during a 1969 battle in Vietnam.

Peralta's sacrifice should be a legend in the making. But somehow heroism doesn't get the same traction in our media environment as being a victim or villain, categories that encompass the truly famous Jessica Lynch and Lynndie England respectively. Peralta's story has been covered in military publications, a smattering of papers including the Seattle Times and the San Diego Union-Tribune, ABC News, and some military blogs. But the Washington Post and the New York Times only mentioned Peralta's name in their lists of the dead. Scandalously, the "heroism" of Spc. Thomas Wilson — the national guardsman who asked a tough question of Secretary of Defense Don Rumsfeld that had been planted with him by a reporter — has been more celebrated in the press than that of Peralta.

Kaemmerer recounts how later on the night of Nov. 15, a friend approached him and said: "You're still here; don't forget that. Tell your kids, your grandkids, what Sgt. Peralta did for you and the other Marines today." Don't forget. Good advice for all of us.

Answer 1

Ya know what? This guy did it right, he WANTED to be a Marine.He gave his life to save his fellow Marines... this is what they call "over and above" and he deserves the Medal of Honor.

If more of the illegals VOLUNTEERED to Serve, I'd have not one problem with awarding him/her Citizenship. They did it during WW II, why not now? If they can't afford to enter thru legal means, why not give them the option of entering the Service to earn their Citizenship?

Answer 2

"He saved half my fire team," Cpl Brannon Dyers of Blairsville GA. Told the Army times, "It's stuff you hear about in boot camp, About WW II and Tarawa Marines who won the Medal of Honor" said Lance Cpl. Rob Rogers of Tallahassee Fla
Lance Cpl. T.J. Kaemmerer, combat correspondent who was attached to Alpha Company, witnessed Peralta who, in his last moments of consciousness, reached out and pulled a grenade into his body, protecting the lives of at least 8 fellow Kaneohe Marines. He wanted to join the Marines, after High school in San Diego in 1997, but since he was a Mexican citizen ,he had to wait until August,2000, until he got his Green card.
He was buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (Punchbowl) In Oahu Hawaii.
The media did not tell his story, He is an American Hero.
Thank you for telling his story!!

Why do you anti's go do what he did fight for his country? all of the liberties you state you will fight for, Yet you disrespect an American Marine for giving his life for his country, a job you real Americans refuse to do. It safer sitting behind your computer isn't it ,Brucey

Answer 3

Many LEGAL men and WOMAN died for The Greatest country in the world ! where many nationalities can live in Peace!
I have Cherokee indian blood in my family! and I am proud of that ! Dont forget who were the first LEGAL americans in this land ! and they died with so many other tribes Men and Woman and children long ago ! It is different now ! we must protect our borders,Build a wall,STOP this Illegal migrating NOW,from ALL borders,Give back the right paying jobs for legal Americans ! Americans will work if the they are payed right! where I live the rich hire these illegals to do their work and pay them cheaply and under the table ,that must stop! And last Alkaida is a great threat for America and there will be bad times for America !! and they are allready here!! GOD BLESS AMERICA !

Answer 4

I am in support of anyone coming to this country to work and provide for their family. I am in support of anyone willing to work and accept the values, obey the laws, and learn the English language.

Much more beneficial to our society than those who were born in the U.S. and do not appreciate the programs and the freedoms provided in this country - who milk the welfare system and accept free medical care and do not contribute to tax base or their local community.

Being a citizen means more than having a U.S. address. Being a citizen means making your neighborhood a safe place for children, contributing to the economy, paying taxes, supporting our military and taking advantage of your right to vote.

thank you for sharing this story with us.

Answer 5

Yes, i support legal immigration with quotas for each country. Closing our borders would not be fair to people who live in war torn countries where genocides take place.
Opening our borders would not be fair to our own people who should always come first regardless of race.

Foreigners from other countries or residents here with loyalty to other countries calling for open borders (amnesty) are literally calling for the destruction of the USA. That's a fact.

Answer 6

Thank you. Yes.

By the way, I am of European and First American ancestry.

We are becoming a people. We are only 200 years old or so.

It is an honor to be part of it.

I will remember him, if not by name, at least by respecting his sacrifice in my actions and thoughts.

He was my brother. All legal immigrants are (or sisters! Don't forget them)!

Answer 7

But someone could easily find legal immigrant who committed horrific crimes. It's great that great people come here legally, but I bet there are people who will support blocking Muslims from entering this country. Which would be very wrong.

The real debate is about what to do with illegal immigrants already here. Of course people support legal immigration. What are we going to do with over million people here illegally? Ignore them? Kick them out? Put them through system? What do we do? How do we prevent people entering illegally? That's what people are arguing.

It's great you're pro-legal immigration. I'm all for it too like most people. I'm all for Muslims legally living here too. I think this is where you truly know if you're pro-legal immigration. If you welcome all races, all religions long as they come in here legally.

Answer 8

As long as you understand that there are hundreds of millions of poor and disadvantaged people in the world and the USA cannot take them all in.

The USA has a finite ( limited ) capacity to absorb immigrants.

I support immigration to a reasonable point in which the USA can economically handle it, same goes for the UK who is taking in alot of immigrants. The world needs to be helped where they are at for the most part.
We really since most of us descended from people who immigrated at some point in time its quite wrong to say we cant have any of it.

Illegals are ...well we need to have zero of that.

Answer 9

We have an Obligation, to the legal immigrants because we made a promise to them, but it's being broken. I heard some disturbing news of the H1B visa. If someone tried to find work somewhere else, the company who sponser him could have the visa revoked. THe H1B visa holder is bascially an indentured servant then. I see alot of abuses performed by the company towards these immigrants, and I believe we need to cut back on them until we can fix our law to ensure their safety and they would be treated fairly.

Answer 10

the very seed of America is immigration. None of us would be here if our ancestors had not floated here on a boat.....
can you imagine what the Indians who are forced to live on government mandated land think of us when the land was theirs to begin with....I bet we Americans sound pretty hypocritical to them