Remember Their Names

It is a crying shame that millions of Americans know the name Lynndie England and Abu Ghraib. All around the world those names and images are seared into our memory by thousands of media stories. So, it's pop quiz time: name one Medal of Honor winner, or Silver Star recipient of the Iraq War. Isn't that amazing? After five years of pounding us with one side of the story, and after our administration made countless terrible decisions about how to fight the war, it is not surprising that a majority of Americans think the war is lost. It might be, but not because of our men and women in uniform.

A case in point, from ABC News, December 7th, 2006. The event covered in the story took place in June of 2006. The First Battalion 25th Marines were out on patrol in Fallujah when an IED exploded right beside the vehicle carrying Navy medic Chris Walsh. Captain Sean Donovan and his men immediately piled out of their trucks to chase the trigger man.

As they were pursuing the man an Iraqi woman came out and began calling to them that her child was sick. They let the trigger man go and went to the woman, sending in Chris to check on the baby. The medic determined that the baby was desperately ill and needed immediate care. She was just 2 months old and suffering from a rare intestinal abnormality.

While still under the threat of another attack, Captain Donovan and Corpsman Walsh came to the same decision. "Right on the spot, the mission changed from the trigger man to the baby girl." One of the factors in their decision was the bravery of the family in coming out to ask for their help right in the middle of Fallujah -- perhaps the most hostile place in the world for any who would befriend Americans. Since the family were brave enough to risk their lives for their daughter, Walsh said, the Marines decided they could do no less.

For the next three months, Walsh and the team made house calls under the cloak of darkness into the dangerous city to help the baby. They tried to stablize her, took photographs, consulted experts, all the while arranging papers for her that would allow her to leave the country for the advanced medical care she needed. Staff Sgt. Ed Ewing (USMC) led the visits. They showed up at random times; the family never knew when they were coming. That protected the Marines and the family.

After months of caring for this family, tragedy struck. Another IED went off on September 4th, killing two Marines -- Lance Cpl. Eric Valdepenas, and Corporal Jared Shoemaker. It also killed the baby's guardian angel -- Navy Corpsman Chris Walsh.

To honor the memory of their fallen Corpsman, the Marines made that baby girl the mission of their entire unity. Eventually, they won their battle and baby Mariam was granted permission to leave Iraq. Dr. Rafael Pieretti of Boston Massachusetts General Hospital performed the surgery in October. After her successful survery, Miriam was taken home. A USMC patrol went out at night and returned her, safe and well, to her mother.

That same day, Chris Walsh's mother, Maureen, received a letter from Captain Donovan about her son's bravery and about the life that was saved because of his big heart. The letter read in part, "Although he won't be visible, Chris will be very much on that patrol, the hope for Mariam's tiny life having arisen from the charity and gallantry of your son."

In recent days, Maureen Walsh got to meet baby Mariam. "It made me feel like Chris was there," she said. "He wanted something like this. He wanted to make a difference in somebody's life."

Thank you, ABC News Online, for printing this story. If only we forgot England's name and remember the names of Chris Walsh and his buddies in the USMC who broke off a hot pursuit to save a little girl's life.