Local Marine receives Navy Cross

At the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Training Center in California, Churchville native Marine Captain Brian Chontosh received the naval service's second highest award, the Navy Cross. This was awarded to him for extraordinary heroism while serving as Combined Anti-Armor Platoon Commander, Weapons Company, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force.

Established by an Act of Congress on February 4, 1919, the Navy Cross is awarded to any person who, while serving with the Navy or Marine Corps, distinguishes him/herself in action by extraordinary heroism not justifying an award of the Medal of Honor. To earn a Navy Cross the act to be commended must be performed in the presence of great danger or at great personal risk and be performed in such a manner as to render the individual highly conspicuous among others of equal grade, rate, experience or position of responsibility.

Richard Chontosh, Brian's father, isn't surprised by his son's award but he was surprised to find out about the battle. "We knew nothing about what he had done until he called and invited us out to the ceremony," Richard Chontosh stated. The battle took place over a year ago in Iraq on March 25, 2003.

Chontosh said his son is very humble about the honor and doesn't feel he did anything more remarkable than any other Marine would do in his position. But the record of what took place that day says otherwise.

While leading his platoon north on Highway 1 toward Ad Diwaniyah, Chontosh's platoon moved into an ambush of mortars, rocket propelled grenades (RPGs), and automatic weapon fire. With coalition tanks blocking the road ahead, Chontosh realized his platoon was in a kill zone.

He ordered his driver to move the vehicle through a breach along his flank where they immediately came under fire. Chontosh ordered the driver to advance directly at the enemy using his .50 caliber machine gun as they approached.

Directing the driver into the enemy trench, Chontosh left the vehicle and began clearing the trench with his M16A2 service rifle and 9 millimeter pistol. When that ran out of ammunition he picked up discarded enemy rifles, not once but twice and continued his attack. Another Marine found an enemy RPG and Chontosh used it to destroy another group of enemy soldiers. When the attack was over, the Churchville native had cleared over 200 meters of enemy trench, killed more than 20 enemy soldiers, and wounded several others.

"I was just doing my job. I did the same thing every other Marine would have done, it was just a passion and love for my Marines, the experience put a lot into perspective," said Chontosh in an interview that was posted on the Marine web site.

Richard Chontosh said his son decided to join the Marines after his first semester of college turned out to be not what he was looking for. But a short time later, he became a "mustang," which is an entry level Marine who the Marine Corps sends to school through the Officers Program. Chontosh returned home and graduated from RIT and returned to active duty as an officer.

Chontosh returned from Iraq last fall and has been stationed at Camp Pendleton but his father knows he more than likely will be returning to Iraq again. He's told his father that the people of Iraq are fabulous, especially the children, and he doesn't have a problem with returning there.