Silver Star for Lt. Col. Todd Desgrosseilliers

Change of Command, on January 13th, ceremony for 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, Lt. Col. Todd S. Desgrosseilliers passed the colors to Battalion Sgt. Maj. Arthur L. Mennig after he received them from former commander, Lt. Col. Timothy S. Mundy. Photo by: Cpl. Athanasios L. Genos

"“Protect the Marines, and then kill the enemy --pretty much in that order: Lt. Col. Todd Desgrosseilliers accounted for his actions that were awarded the Silver Star for gallantry under fire in Fallujah.

He declines to take any credit for the Silver Star awarded for his hell for leather heroic actions in which he once threw his body in between a grenade blast and two exposed Marines. Shaking off the effects of the blast Desgrosseillers then, a Major and the XO of 3/5, led his Marines against 15 evil thug terrorists hiding inside the house waiting to kill more Marines. The Fallujah thug predators, who had been preying on helpless civilians, were escorted to an exit outside the airlocker.

Two weeks later, Desgrosseilliers’ task force came under heavy fire from evil thug predators hiding inside a house. When a Marine was shot down in the house entrance, Desgrosseilliers and another Marine pulled the wounded man to safety, despite the intense enemy fire. Desgrosseilliers, leg bleeding from a gunshot wound, runs to a nearby Marine tank and orders cannon fire on the house. The blast sent 30 evil thug doers to their meeting w/ 72 virgins waiting outside the airlocker.

“Ask the Lt Col what his Star Star Medal is all about and he replies: "It'’s about the men. “I was doing what I felt was my job as an officer. (The Marines) ensured we were successful. We were a good team. Every man would fight to the death if he had to ensure the life of his comrades.