Politics & Government

Camp Pendleton Marine Awarded Navy Cross [Gallery]

Cpl. Christopher B. Farias earned the Navy Cross for heroics on Oct. 5, 2010. Three other service members were awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with a "V" device for valor.

A Camp Pendleton Marine was pinned with the second highest military award Friday.

Cpl. Christopher B. Farias earned the Navy Cross for his heroics during an Oct. 5, 2010 firefight in Helmand Province in which a compound they were in was attacked by enemy forces. They blasted the structure with recoilless rifles and rocket-propelled grenades in addition to small arms fire.

A wounded Farias fought enemy forces as well treated and transported wounded Marines under fire. Under Secretary of the Navy Robert Work presented Farias and three other service members for their actions that day.

Find out what's happening in Oceanside-Camp Pendletonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“They all willingly marched to the sounds of the guns,” Work said.

Two Marines and a sailor were awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with a “V” device for valor. 

Find out what's happening in Oceanside-Camp Pendletonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Sgt. Nester R. Hernandez killed an armed enemy fighter early in the engagement. He was hit and knocked unconscious by a blast, but awoke and ignored his own wounds to carry Marines more than 400 meters to be flown out.

Cpl. David R. Wyble applied first aid to other Marines and made various trips to carry injured Marines to a helicopter landing zone, exposing himself to enemy fire. Wyble was dazed by explosions and waited until all the badly injured Marines were loaded to get treatment for himself.

Hospitalman Third Class Michael A. Pepper—a medic in the unit—was knocked unconscious by an initial explosion but awoke and immediately directed medical care for the Marines. After stabilizing the wounded Marines, he made various trips in enemy fire to the helicopter landing zone.

The service members embodied the doctrine that “every Marine is a rifleman,” Work said, because the Marines were not designated infantrymen—they were artillery Marines assigned to the “India” Battery of the 1st Marine Division’s 1st Battalion, 11th Marines.

Only the Medal of Honor is higher than the Navy Cross, but Farias maintains a humble stance. His family never learned about their Marine’s heroics until reading the award’s summary this month, his father, Lawrence said. The award, the corporal said, represents his fellow artillery Marines.

“We showed everybody we can do the job,” he said. “This medal is not for me, it’s for India.”

The day of the attack is a memorable one, Hernandez said, but he is glad he was with his “brothers.”

“If they weren’t there, we would have had a different outcome,” he said. “We had angels looking over us and protecting us.”  


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here