Santee, Calif., Marine awarded Bronze Star medal for heroic actions in Iraq
The 36-year-old platoon sergean was recently awarded the Bronze Star medal for his heroic actions during combat operations in the border city two years ago.
RAMANA, Iraq – Staff Sgt. Jeffery V. Escalderon experienced some of the fiercest fighting along the Iraqi-Syrian border city of Husaybah – against insurgents wielding machine guns, mortars and rocket propelled grenades.
The 36-year-old platoon sergeant from 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment was recently awarded the Bronze Star medal for his heroic actions during combat operations in the border city two years ago.
Escalderon, currently deployed to Iraq for a second time, was recognized in a ceremony at the Marines’ small outpost here. He helped battle terrorists in the once insurgent-infested city of about 30,000, when the battalion was deployed to this same region in western Al Anbar Province in November 2004.
“I just told my Marines every day to keep doing what they were trained to do – take the fight to the enemy,” said Escalderon.
Escalderon’s men came under numerous attacks in Husaybah on a near-daily basis during the deployment, according to the Marines here. The Marines of Company B nicknamed a certain area of the city of Husaybah, ‘mortar thirty,’ because everyday at around 4:30 p.m., they received incoming mortar fire from insurgents.
By Cpl. Antonio Rosas
Combat Correspondent
1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment
