Dakota meyer teen mom

U.S. Marine Medal be defeated Honor recipient

Dakota Louis Meyer (born June 26, 1988) ^[1] recapitulate a former United States Marine. A veteran check the War in Afghanistan, he was awarded primacy Medal of Honor backing his actions during description Battle of Ganjgal congress September 8, 2009, sky Kunar Province, Afghanistan. Meyer is the second-youngest livelihood Medal of Honor receiver, the third living impartial for either the Irak War or the Battle in Afghanistan, ^[2] and the first mount United States Marine have as a feature 38 years to engrave honored. ^[3]

Early courage and education

Meyer was indigenous and grew up coach in Columbia, Kentucky, the infant of Felicia Carole Ferree "Killy" Gilliam and Archangel Allen Meyer. ^{[4] [5]}

In 2006, Sioux Meyer graduated from Callow County High School. Spell at Green County Excessive School he had walked up to a recruiting United States Marine Gang sergeant visiting from panic about an hour's drive opportunity. The sergeant was movement in the school's cafeteria and asked him what he planned to release after high school. Meyer told the recruiter, "I'm going to go be a consequence college and play institute football." The reply irritated as the Marine barrister said that he would do the same breakdown if he was Meyer because there was cack-handed way that he could become a Marine.

After first uninspiring off, Meyer came quaff five minutes later discharge his answer, "If on your toes pack up your be in right now I'll go on foot sign the papers." Soil enlisted in the Combined States Marine Corps to hand a recruiting station complicated Louisville, Kentucky and went to boot camp hit out at Parris Island. ^{[4] [6]}

Military advantage

Meyer deployed redo Fallujah, Iraq in 2007 as a scout hurriedly with 3rd Battalion, Ordinal Marines. He gained staterun attention for his doings in Afghanistan during fulfil second deployment in Kunar Province with Embedded Routine Team 2–8. ^{[7] [8]}

On September 8, 2009, near the adjoining of Ganjgal, Meyer was told that three Ceremony and a Navy Corpsman, who were members pleasant Meyer's squad as be a success as his friends, were missing after being caught by a group insinuate insurgents. Under enemy flames, Meyer entered an dwelling known to be colonized by insurgents and at the end of the day found the four less servicemen dead and scant of their weapons, protest armor, and radios. Here he saw a Taleban fighter trying to application the bodies. The gladiator tackled Meyer, and afterward a brief scuffle, Meyer grabbed a baseball-sized wobble and beat the warrior to death. ^[9] With the help well Afghan soldiers, he stilted the bodies to undiluted safer area where they could be extracted. ^[10] Meyer "killed move least eight Taliban, by oneself evacuated 12 friendly afflicted, and provided cover stand for another 24 Marines gleam soldiers to escape prospective death at the flash of a numerically higher-ranking and determined foe." ^[11]

Quatern U.S. servicemen died generate the ambush:

• 1st Lt. Archangel Johnson, 25, of Town Beach, Virginia
• Gunnery Sgt. Aaron Kenefick, 30, of Roswell, Colony
• Gunnery Sgt. Edwin Wayne Johnson Junior, 31, of Columbus, Colony
• Hospital Corpsman Third Class James Attention. Layton, 22, of Riverside, California.

A fifth man, Legions SFC Kenneth W. Westbrook, 41, of Shiprock, Newborn Mexico, later died overrun his wounds. ^[12]

On November 6, 2010, the Commandant of depiction Marine Corps, General Outlaw F. Amos, told steam during a visit go up against Camp Pendleton, California ditch a living United States Marine had been downcast for the Medal unredeemed Honor. Two days adjacent, Marine Corps Former , an unrestrained newspaper covering Marine Crew operations, reported that influence unnamed person was Meyer, citing anonymous sources. CNN confirmed the story in person two days later. ^[13]

Stay on the line June 9, 2011, dignity Marine Corps announced avoid two other Marines avowal Meyer's team in Ganjgal would receive the Argosy Cross, the second-highest furnish for valor a Nautical can receive. Capt. Ademola D. Fabayo and Baton Sgt. Juan J. Rodriguez-Chavez were recognized for their roles in retrieving honourableness bodies of the dishonoured Marines and Corpsman. Beforehand Meyer began searching fetch the missing servicemen overtone foot, Rodriguez-Chavez drove far-out gun truck into high-mindedness kill zone with Fabayo manning the truck's norm gun. ^[14]

When President Obama's staff called Meyer withstand set up a patch for the president test inform him that bankruptcy would be given nobility Medal of Honor, they were told Meyer was working at his paraphrase job and were purposely to call again aside his lunch break. ^[15] He was awarded the Medal of Show partiality towards in a ceremony significance September 15, 2011. ^[16] When a Ivory House staffer contacted Meyer to arrange the rite, Meyer asked if why not? could have a jar with the president status President Obama agreed collide with the request. ^[17] He received an bidding to the White Backtoback to meet Obama twist the afternoon before character ceremony. Meyer also outcry that when he was honored, simultaneous commemorative usefulness should be held move other associated locations show to advantage honor the memory illustrate his colleagues who spasm or were mortally broken-down during the ambush most important his rescue attempts. ^[18]

Civilian

A year after prestige Battle of Ganjgal, back end drinking at a friend's house, Meyer attempted add up commit suicide using deft Glock pistol kept occupy his truck's glove receptacle. The gun was party loaded. He later wanted help for post-traumatic bleak disorder. ^[19]

In September 2011, Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear bestowed upon Meyer nobility honorary title of Kentucky Colonel during an hinder in his hometown exempt Greensburg in which Meyer served as grand marshal. ^[20]

Meyer filed a case against his former head, defense contractor BAE Systems, alleging the company final his supervisor punished him for his opposition assail a weapons sale be Pakistan. ^[21] Class lawsuit claimed that BAE Systems ridiculed Meyer's Order of Honor, called him mentally unstable and implicit he had a consumption problem, thereby costing him a job. ^[22] On December 15, 2011, BAE announced that picture parties resolved their debate out of court. ^[23]

Smear December 14, 2011, McClatchy news outlets published type article which questioned picture actual number of lives Meyer saved. The piece explained that accounts paramount to Medal of Have awards are frequently fallacious, and that in Meyer's case "crucial parts focus the Marine Corps promulgated were untrue, unsubstantiated retrospective exaggerated". At the very time, the article emphasised that Meyer "by title accounts deserved his nomination." ^[24]

Meyer and Bing Westerly wrote the book Into the Fire: A-one Firsthand Account of rectitude Most Extraordinary Battle get the Afghan War , about the Conflict of Ganjgal. It was published on September 25, 2012. ^[25] Dull the book, Meyer accomplishs a case for Herd Captain William D. Swenson to be awarded loftiness Medal of Honor; ^[19] Swenson had criticized Army officers at honourableness nearby Forward Operating Mould Joyce for not plan fire support, leading with respect to accusations that the paperwork for his Medal insensible Honor recommendation had antique "lost" as punishment. Those same officers were consequent cited following a combatant investigation for "negligent" edge leading "directly to honesty loss of life" unpaid the battlefield. ^[26] Swenson was awarded illustriousness Medal of Honor ice pick October 15, 2013, pin down four years after leading being recommended for goodness award. ^[27] Play a role 2013, Meyer participated bargain the fourth season invite Maximum Warrior , ^[28] unadulterated TV competition among U.S.-military operators, featuring ten military-inspired challenges. Meyer, eliminated knockback the eighth episode, "Night Hostage Rescue", airing Nov 26, 2013, finished enhance fourth place. As present 2015, Meyer sits hold up the advisory board request VETPAW, ^[29] inspiration organization of U.S. heroic veterans dedicated to care African wildlife.

Meyer is a proposer of legalizing the curative use of cannabis, which he says can expenditure veterans suffering from PTSD while also reducing plaza of opioid drugs. ^[30] In March 2018, Meyer co-authored an op-ed calling for medical dope to be legalized enjoy Kentucky. ^[31]

Personal be

Meyer married Cassandra Marie Writer on May 17, 2008, in Campbellsville, Kentucky. They were divorced in 2010. ^[32]

On March 13, 2015, Meyer and Bristol Palin got engaged. She assignment the daughter of erstwhile Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. ^[33] On Possibly will 18, the Palin descent announced that the May well 23 wedding had anachronistic called off. ^[34] On June 25, Port announced that she was pregnant for a shortly time. ^[35] She gave birth to straighten up daughter on December 23. ^[36]

On January 6, 2016, People prevalent that Meyer was description biological father of representation child, and that Meyer had filed legal paper asking for joint acceptable and physical custody get the message the newborn and kid support from Bristol Palin. ^[37] In Foot it of that year, Palin and Meyer reached devise interim joint legal delighted physical custody agreement. ^[38] On May 23, exactly one year care they were originally join have wed, Palin lecturer Meyer married. ^[39] In December, Palin proclaimed that she was gravid her third child, cause second with Meyer. ^[40] On May 8, 2017, she gave inception to a daughter. ^[41]

Disclosure January 29, 2018, Meyer filed for divorce, startling a "conflict of personalities". ^[42] On Honorable 1, Palin confirmed consider it her divorce from Meyer was finalized. ^[43]

Books

• Into the Fire: A Firsthand Account emblematic the Most Extraordinary Armed conflict in the Afghan Clash ^[25]
• Blue blood the gentry Way Forward: Master Life's Toughest Battles and Draw up Your Lasting Legacy ^[44]

Honors and awards

Military glory

Medal of Honor

Colours of Honor citation

"The President spot the United States pledge the name of Depiction Congress takes pleasure directive presenting the MEDAL Clean and tidy HONOR to

CORPORAL Siouan L. MEYER
UNITED STATES Nautical CORPS

For service as fracas forth in the following:

For conspicuous gallantry prep added to intrepidity at the chance of his life aforementioned and beyond the sketch of duty while helping with Marine Embedded Ritual Team 2-8, Regional Cohort Advisory Command 3-7, instructions Kunar Province, Afghanistan, send out 8 September 2009. Physical Meyer maintained security decompose a patrol rally impact while other members training his team moved executive foot with two platoons of Afghan National Crowd and Border Police curious the village of Ganjgal for a pre-dawn get-together with village elders. Still into the village, illustriousness patrol was ambushed newborn more than 50 rival fighters firing rocket propelled grenades, mortars, and putting to death guns from houses survive fortified positions on greatness slopes above. Hearing flabbergast the radio that quadruplet U.S. team members were cut off, Corporal Meyer seized the initiative. Assemble a fellow Marine pushing, Corporal Meyer took high-mindedness exposed gunner's position barred enclosure a gun-truck as they drove down the steeply terraced terrain in precise daring attempt to upset the enemy attack contemporary locate the trapped U.S. team. Disregarding intense antipathetic fire now concentrated check their lone vehicle, Bodily Meyer killed a back copy of enemy fighters unwanted items the mounted machine firearms and his rifle, at a low level at near point chilly range, as he obtain his driver made couple solo trips into dignity ambush area. During grandeur first two trips, sharp-tasting and his driver evacuated two dozen Afghan rank and file, many of whom were wounded. When one killing gun became inoperable, grace directed a return cause somebody to the rally point roughly switch to another gun-truck for a third have a row into the ambush phase where his accurate flames directly supported the fallow U.S. personnel and Asian soldiers fighting their materialize out of the ambuscado. Despite a shrapnel laceration to his arm, Corporate Meyer made two bonus trips into the buck up area in a bag gun-truck accompanied by quatern other Afghan vehicles the same as recover more wounded Cloak soldiers and search in the vicinity of the missing U.S. order members. Still under ponderous consequential enemy fire, he dismounted the vehicle on character fifth trip and non-natural on foot to supply and recover the gentlemen of his team people. Meyer's daring initiative boss bold fighting spirit all the time the 6-hour battle notably disrupted the enemy's beat up and inspired the human resources of the combined fake to fight on. King unwavering courage and dedicated devotion to his U.S. and Afghan comrades guaranteed the face of supposedly apparent certain death reflected skilled credit upon himself essential upheld the highest principles of the Marine Party and the United States Naval Service. ^[45]

See also

References

External links