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Marine's quiet strength resonated on this July Fourth

With bullets smashing into the dirt and concrete all around him, 1st Lt. Rick Posselt had but one thought in mind: Get my Marine out of there.

He was not thinking of his wife and children waiting for him stateside or of his family back home in Citrus County. Posselt's focus was solely to get Cpl. Michael Estrella, lying wounded in the street of a dusty Iraqi village, out of the line of sniper cross-fire.

Posselt ran to the bleeding 20-year-old and pulled him to safety, an act of instant heroism that astounded his battle-hardened fellow Marines and the Iraqi soldiers who were with them during the ambush.

Posselt's selfless actions on June 14 were the stuff of Hollywood, but this was no movie stunt. The bullets, and the danger, were very real.

Evidence of that came all too quickly. The bullets that struck Cpl. Estrella proved fatal.

His death was a dubious milestone. Cpl. Estrella became the 2,500th U.S. service member to lose his life in the ongoing war on terror.

For that reason, and because of the extraordinary bravery that Posselt exhibited, this incident has become national news. Posselt was featured Sunday evening on CNN's Fallen Heroes segment. He was interviewed about the attack and his actions, but more important to him, he got to speak to the family of Cpl. Estrella via a satellite link.

Cpl. Estrella's mother in Hemet, Calif., said that when she heard that her son had been hit, her heart broke at the realization that she had not been there for him in his final moments.

But her anguish was eased somewhat by the knowledge that he did not die alone. Through her tears, she thanked Posselt for trying to save her son and for not leaving him behind.

As befits a hero, Posselt remained modest and composed, telling the grieving mother that her son was a great Marine. He was the unit's communications chief, aptly nicknamed Scratchy.

Posselt shared that he had served with Scratchy in Afghanistan and now in Iraq. He was always able to fix whatever communications crisis the unit had, Posselt said, even getting their iPods to work.

His words were a great comfort to the Estrella family, giving them an image of a happy Michael helping his fellow Marines listen to their music instead of a fallen son dying thousands of miles from their arms.

Posselt's heroism must be noted for another reason: the location of the ambush. It occurred in the town of Haditha, northwest of Baghdad.

You may recognize the name. Quite possibly, it will take a place in history alongside the village of My Lai in Vietnam.

Four Marines, including a captain, are under investigation in the deaths of two dozen unarmed Iraqis on Nov. 19, 2005. The Marines could face murder charges in the slayings, which included a number of women and children.

While the investigation of that alleged atrocity plays out in the coming months, it is vital that we not ignore the extraordinary act of courage that occurred in that town as well.

For his part, Posselt would rather not be a part of any of it. He has downplayed his own actions time and again, but his fellow soldiers won't let it slide.

"He showed uncommon courage," said an Iraqi soldier in a Department of Defense release.

"He put his life on the line without even thinking about it," added Sgt. Jason Sakowski of Wilkesboro, N.C. "This is my third combat deployment, but it is the first time I have seen bravery to that degree."

To those who know Posselt and to those on the Nature Coast who only know him from his days as a Crystal River High School athlete, it is easy to see him performing legendary feats of strength and valor.

This is a young man who set the standard that still stands at CRHS when he starred as a running back from 1995 to 1998. Seemingly chiseled out of granite, Posselt would just as likely run through a defender as around him, earning second-team All-State honors, an astounding recognition for a small-town kid.

People speak with awe about his prowess in the weight room here and at Delta State University in Mississippi. In Crystal River, he was a state champion. In college, he was an icon.

They still talk about the competition: Other athletes managed to lift 315 pounds anywhere from eight to 10 times. When Posselt hit 40, his coach made him stop.

Today, Posselt, who was born 25 years ago on Veterans Day, is a walking recruiting poster for the Marines. With a shaved head, shoulder muscles stretching the fabric of his camos to their limits, and an intensity that bores into your very soul, Posselt embodies all that it means to be a member of the corps.

As we celebrated Independence Day, many of us loudly proclaimed our patriotism. On Tuesday, we did so in humble recognition of those who quietly show us what it means to truly risk everything for their fellow Americans.

Greg Hamilton is editor of editorials for the Times in Citrus County.

[Last modified July 4, 2006, 23:19:34]