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Dakota Meyer

Dakota Louis Meyer (born June 26, 1988)[1] is a former United States Marine. A veteran of the War in Afghanistan, he was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Battle of Ganjgal on September 8, 2009, in Kunar Province, Afghanistan. Meyer is the second-youngest living Medal of Honor recipient, the third living recipient for either the Iraq War or the War in Afghanistan,[2] and the first living United States Marine in 38 years to be honored.[3]

Dakota Meyer
Sergeant Meyer in November 2011
Birth nameDakota Louis Meyer
Born (1988-06-26) June 26, 1988 (age 36)
Columbia, Kentucky, U.S.
AllegianceUnited States
Service / branchUnited States Marine Corps
Years of service2006–2010
RankSergeant
UnitEmbedded Training Team 2-8
3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines
Battles / warsIraq War
War in Afghanistan
AwardsMedal of Honor
Purple Heart
Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal
Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal
Spouse(s)
Cassandra Wain
​
​
(m. 2008; div. 2010)​
​
​
(m. 2016; div. 2018)​
Children2
Other workVeterans advocate

Early life and education

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Meyer was born and grew up in Columbia, Kentucky, the son of Felicia Carole Ferree "Killy" Gilliam and Michael Allen Meyer.[4][5]

In 2006, Dakota Meyer graduated from Green County High School. While at Green County High School he had walked up to a recruiting United States Marine Corps sergeant visiting from about an hour's drive away. The sergeant was sitting in the school's lunchroom and asked him what he planned to do after high school. Meyer told the recruiter, "I'm going to go to college and play college football." The reply stung as the Marine sergeant said that he would do the same thing if he was Meyer because there was no way that he could become a Marine.

After first walking off, Meyer came back five minutes later with his answer, "If you pack up your stuff right now I'll go sign the papers." He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps at a recruiting station in Louisville, Kentucky and went to boot camp at Parris Island.[4][6]

Military service

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Meyer in Afghanistan

Meyer deployed to Fallujah, Iraq in 2007 as a scout sniper with 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines. He gained national attention for his actions in Afghanistan during his second deployment in Kunar Province with Embedded Training Team 2–8.[7][8]

On September 8, 2009, near the village of Ganjgal, Meyer was told that three Marines and a Navy Corpsman, who were members of Meyer's squad as well as his friends, were missing after being ambushed by a group of insurgents. Under enemy fire, Meyer entered an area known to be inhabited by insurgents and eventually found the four missing servicemen dead and stripped of their weapons, body armor, and radios. There he saw a Taliban fighter trying to take the bodies. The fighter tackled Meyer, and after a brief scuffle, Meyer grabbed a baseball-sized rock and beat the fighter to death.[9] With the help of Afghan soldiers, he moved the bodies to a safer area where they could be extracted.[10] Meyer "killed at least eight Taliban, personally evacuated 12 friendly wounded, and provided cover for another 24 Marines and soldiers to escape likely death at the hands of a numerically superior and determined foe."[11]

Four U.S. servicemen died in the ambush:

  • 1st Lt. Michael Johnson, 25, of Virginia Beach, Virginia
  • Gunnery Sgt. Aaron Kenefick, 30, of Roswell, Georgia
  • Gunnery Sgt. Edwin Wayne Johnson Jr., 31, of Columbus, Georgia
  • Hospital Corpsman Third Class James R. Layton, 22, of Riverbank, California.

A fifth man, Army SFC Kenneth W. Westbrook, 41, of Shiprock, New Mexico, later died from his wounds.[12]

 
Meyer stands at attention after receiving the Medal of Honor from U.S. President Barack Obama during the Medal of Honor presentation ceremony in the East Room of the White House, Washington, D.C., September 15, 2011.

On November 6, 2010, the Commandant of the Marine Corps, General James F. Amos, told reporters during a visit to Camp Pendleton, California that a living United States Marine had been nominated for the Medal of Honor. Two days later, Marine Corps Times, an independent newspaper covering Marine Corps operations, reported that the unnamed person was Meyer, citing anonymous sources. CNN confirmed the story independently two days later.[13]

On June 9, 2011, the Marine Corps announced that two other Marines on Meyer's team in Ganjgal would receive the Navy Cross, the second-highest award for valor a Marine can receive. Capt. Ademola D. Fabayo and Staff Sgt. Juan J. Rodriguez-Chavez were recognized for their roles in retrieving the bodies of the fallen Marines and Corpsman. Before Meyer began searching for the missing servicemen on foot, Rodriguez-Chavez drove a gun truck into the kill zone with Fabayo manning the truck's machine gun.[14]

When President Obama's staff called Meyer to set up a time for the president to inform him that he would be given the Medal of Honor, they were told Meyer was working at his construction job and were asked to call again during his lunch break.[15] He was awarded the Medal of Honor in a ceremony on September 15, 2011.[16] When a White House staffer contacted Meyer to arrange the ceremony, Meyer asked if he could have a beer with the president and President Obama agreed to the request.[17] He received an invitation to the White House to meet Obama in the afternoon before the ceremony. Meyer also requested that when he was honored, simultaneous commemorative services should be held at other associated locations to honor the memory of his colleagues who died or were mortally wounded during the ambush and his rescue attempts.[18]

Civilian

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A year after the Battle of Ganjgal, after drinking at a friend's house, Meyer attempted to commit suicide using a Glock pistol kept in his truck's glove compartment. The gun was not loaded. He later sought help for post-traumatic stress disorder.[19]

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

Meyer filed a lawsuit against his former employer, defense contractor BAE Systems, alleging the company and his supervisor punished him for his opposition to a weapons sale to Pakistan.[21] The lawsuit claimed that BAE Systems ridiculed Meyer's Medal of Honor, called him mentally unstable and suggested he had a drinking problem, thereby costing him a job.[22] On December 15, 2011, BAE announced that the parties resolved their dispute out of court.[23]

On December 14, 2011, McClatchy news outlets published an article which questioned the actual number of lives Meyer saved. The article explained that accounts leading to Medal of Honor awards are frequently inaccurate, and that in Meyer's case "crucial parts that the Marine Corps publicized were untrue, unsubstantiated or exaggerated". At the same time, the article emphasized that Meyer "by all accounts deserved his nomination."[24]

Meyer and Bing West wrote the book Into the Fire: A Firsthand Account of the Most Extraordinary Battle in the Afghan War, about the Battle of Ganjgal. It was published on September 25, 2012.[25] In the book, Meyer makes a case for Army Captain William D. Swenson to be awarded the Medal of Honor;[19] Swenson had criticized Army officers at the nearby Forward Operating Base Joyce for not providing fire support, leading to accusations that the paperwork for his Medal of Honor recommendation had been "lost" as punishment. Those same officers were later cited following a military investigation for "negligent" leadership leading "directly to the loss of life" on the battlefield.[26] Swenson was awarded the Medal of Honor on October 15, 2013, over four years after first being recommended for the award.[27] In 2013, Meyer participated in the fourth season of Maximum Warrior,[28] a TV competition among U.S.-military operators, featuring ten military-inspired challenges. Meyer, eliminated on the eighth episode, "Night Hostage Rescue", airing November 26, 2013, finished in fourth place. As of 2015, Meyer sits on the advisory board for VETPAW,[29] an organization of U.S. military veterans dedicated to protecting African wildlife.

Meyer is a proponent of legalizing the medical use of cannabis, which he says can help veterans suffering from PTSD while also reducing usage of opioid drugs.[30] In March 2018, Meyer co-authored an op-ed calling for medical cannabis to be legalized in Kentucky.[31]

Personal life

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

On March 13, 2015, Meyer and Bristol Palin got engaged. She is the daughter of former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin.[33] On May 18, the Palin family announced that the May 23 wedding had been called off.[34] On June 25, Bristol announced that she was pregnant for a second time.[35] She gave birth to a daughter on December 23.[36]

On January 6, 2016, People reported that Meyer was the biological father of the child, and that Meyer had filed legal documents asking for joint legal and physical custody of the newborn and child support from Bristol Palin.[37] In March of that year, Palin and Meyer reached an interim joint legal and physical custody agreement.[38] On May 23, exactly one year after they were originally to have wed, Palin and Meyer married.[39] In December, Palin announced that she was expecting her third child, her second with Meyer.[40] On May 8, 2017, she gave birth to a daughter.[41]

On January 29, 2018, Meyer filed for divorce, citing a "conflict of personalities".[42] On August 1, Palin confirmed that her divorce from Meyer was finalized.[43]

Books

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  • Into the Fire: A Firsthand Account of the Most Extraordinary Battle in the Afghan War[25]
  • The Way Forward: Master Life's Toughest Battles and Create Your Lasting Legacy[44]

Honors and awards

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Military awards

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1st row Medal of Honor Purple Heart Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal w/ Combat V Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal
2nd row Combat Action Ribbon Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal National Defense Service Medal Afghanistan Campaign Medal w/ one bronze campaign star
3rd row Iraq Campaign Medal w/ one bronze campaign star Global War on Terrorism Service Medal Navy Sea Service Deployment Ribbon NATO Service Medal (ISAF)
Badges Expert marksmanship badge for rifle (3rd award) Expert marksmanship badge for pistol (2nd award)
  1 Service stripe

Medal of Honor

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Medal of Honor citation

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"The President of the United States in the name of The Congress takes pleasure in presenting the MEDAL OF HONOR to

CORPORAL DAKOTA L. MEYER
UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS

For service as set forth in the following:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving with Marine Embedded Training Team 2-8, Regional Corps Advisory Command 3-7, in Kunar Province, Afghanistan, on 8 September 2009. Corporal Meyer maintained security at a patrol rally point while other members of his team moved on foot with two platoons of Afghan National Army and Border Police into the village of Ganjgal for a pre-dawn meeting with village elders. Moving into the village, the patrol was ambushed by more than 50 enemy fighters firing rocket propelled grenades, mortars, and machine guns from houses and fortified positions on the slopes above. Hearing over the radio that four U.S. team members were cut off, Corporal Meyer seized the initiative. With a fellow Marine driving, Corporal Meyer took the exposed gunner's position in a gun-truck as they drove down the steeply terraced terrain in a daring attempt to disrupt the enemy attack and locate the trapped U.S. team. Disregarding intense enemy fire now concentrated on their lone vehicle, Corporal Meyer killed a number of enemy fighters with the mounted machine guns and his rifle, some at near point blank range, as he and his driver made three solo trips into the ambush area. During the first two trips, he and his driver evacuated two dozen Afghan soldiers, many of whom were wounded. When one machine gun became inoperable, he directed a return to the rally point to switch to another gun-truck for a third trip into the ambush area where his accurate fire directly supported the remaining U.S. personnel and Afghan soldiers fighting their way out of the ambush. Despite a shrapnel wound to his arm, Corporal Meyer made two more trips into the ambush area in a third gun-truck accompanied by four other Afghan vehicles to recover more wounded Afghan soldiers and search for the missing U.S. team members. Still under heavy enemy fire, he dismounted the vehicle on the fifth trip and moved on foot to locate and recover the bodies of his team members. Meyer's daring initiative and bold fighting spirit throughout the 6-hour battle significantly disrupted the enemy's attack and inspired the members of the combined force to fight on. His unwavering courage and steadfast devotion to his U.S. and Afghan comrades in the face of almost certain death reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service.[45]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Dakota L. Meyer". Military Times. Archived from the original on May 18, 2015. Retrieved May 18, 2015.
  2. ^ Brad Knickebocker (September 15, 2011). "Dakota Meyer, a Marine who disregarded orders, is awarded Medal of Honor". Christian Science Monitor. Archived from the original on February 13, 2013. Retrieved June 3, 2013. Meyer is the third living recipient of the Medal of Honor for actions in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
    Jennifer Epstein (September 14, 2011). "Dakota Meyer, Medal of Honor recipient, meets with President Obama". Politico. Archived from the original on April 25, 2013. Retrieved June 3, 2013. Meyer is the third living recipient and first Marine to receive the medal for actions in Iraq and Afghanistan.
  3. ^ CNN Wire Staff (September 16, 2011). "Marinene receives Medal of Honor at White House". CNN. Archived from the original on July 28, 2013. Retrieved June 3, 2013. "I know that you've grappled with the grief of that day, that you have said that your efforts were somehow a failure because your teammates didn't come home," Obama told Dakota Meyer, who became the first living Marine to be recognized with the nation's highest military honor for actions in Afghanistan or Iraq. {{cite news}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  4. ^ a b "Sgt. Dakota L. Meyer, USMC: Profile". United States Marine Corps. Archived from the original on September 25, 2011. Retrieved September 19, 2011. He was born and raised in Columbia, Kentucky, attended local public schools, and graduated from Green County High School.
  5. ^ "Medal of Honor Recipient Dakota Meyerquote=Dakota Meyer has his Medal of Honor adjusted his father, Michael..." San Antonio Express-News. Texas. December 12, 2011. Archived from the original on May 18, 2015.
    "Reluctant hero and the weight of a medal". Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Hawaii. Archived from the original on May 18, 2015. But his mother, Felicia Gilliam....
  6. ^ "Fan Request: Medal of Honor Recipient, Sergeant Dakota Meyer | Letterman". Worldwide Pants. September 19, 2011. Retrieved June 24, 2024.
  7. ^ Lamothe, Dan (November 23, 2010). "MoH nominee says he does not feel like a hero". Marine Corps Times. Archived from the original on November 11, 2011. Retrieved August 15, 2011.
  8. ^ Estep, Bill, "Adair Native To Receive Medal Of Honor For 'Worst Day' Of His Life", Lexington Herald-Leader, September 13, 2011, p. 1.
  9. ^ Lamothe, Dan (November 8, 2010). "Heroism in ambush may yield top valor awards". Marine Corps Times. Archived from the original on December 8, 2010. Retrieved November 15, 2010.
  10. ^ Cole, William, "Reluctant Hero And The Weight Of A Medal," Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 28 July 2011.
  11. ^ Kristol, William (September 10, 2011). "More on the 9/11 Generation". Washington Examiner. MediaDC. Retrieved April 27, 2024. On Thursday, the president will award Dakota Meyer, a former active duty Marine Corps corporal, the Medal of Honor for his actions while serving as a member of Marine Embedded Training Team 2-8, Regional Corps Advisory Command 3-7, in Kunar Province, Afghanistan, on September 8, 2009 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
  12. ^ "Defying Orders, Hero Marine Saved Other Troops". National Public Radio. September 15, 2011. Retrieved September 19, 2011.
  13. ^ Lamothe, Dan (November 10, 2010). "Ambush survivor up for Medal of Honor". Marine Corps Times. Archived from the original on November 13, 2010. Retrieved November 15, 2010.
    Lamothe, Dan (November 15, 2010). "Behind the Cover: An exclusive interview with Dakota Meyer, Medal of Honor nominee". Marine Corps Times. Archived from the original on November 23, 2010. Retrieved November 15, 2010.
  14. ^ Lamothe, Dan (June 9, 2011). "Marines earn Navy Cross for Ganjgal heroism". Marine Corps Times. Archived from the original on July 23, 2011. Retrieved June 9, 2011.
  15. ^ Memoli, Michael A. (September 15, 2011). "Obama awards Medal of Honor to Kentucky Marine". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on November 8, 2012. Retrieved September 19, 2011.
  16. ^ "Marine to receive Medal of Honor next month". CNN. August 12, 2011. Archived from the original on August 13, 2011. Retrieved August 13, 2011.
    "Obama to Present Marine With Medal of Honor in September, White House Announces". Fox News. August 12, 2011. Archived from the original on August 13, 2011. Retrieved August 12, 2011.
  17. ^ "Sgt. Dakota Meyer Grabs a Beer With President Obama - ABC News". Abcnews.go.com. September 15, 2011. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
  18. ^ Dylan Lovan (September 14, 2011). "Ex-Marine honored for saving 36 in Afghanistan". Associated Press. Archived from the original on June 16, 2012. Retrieved September 15, 2011.
  19. ^ a b Dan Lamothe (August 8, 2012). "Dakota Meyer attempted suicide, book reveals". Military Times. Archived from the original on August 12, 2012. Retrieved August 12, 2012.
  20. ^ James V. Carroll (December 1, 2011). "Dakota Meyer, the newest Medal of Honor recipient, joins a select company of Americans". The American Legion Magazine. The American Legion. Archived from the original on June 15, 2012. Retrieved March 11, 2012.
    Greg Kocher (December 16, 2011). "Crow turns out for Medal of Honor recipient Dakota Meyer". Lexington Herald-Leader. Archived from the original on December 28, 2011. Retrieved March 11, 2012.
  21. ^ Charley Keyes (November 29, 2011). "Medal of Honor hero sues contractor". CNN. Archived from the original on November 30, 2011. Retrieved November 30, 2011.
  22. ^ "Medal of Honor recipient sues defense contractor". AP Press. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved January 14, 2017.
  23. ^ "Dakota Meyer drops case against BAE". militarytimes.com. December 15, 2011. Archived from the original on December 17, 2011.
  24. ^ "Marines promoted inflated story for Medal of Honor recipient". McClatchy DC. Archived from the original on December 15, 2011. Retrieved December 15, 2011.
    "Marines promoted inflated story for Medal of Honor winner". Washington Post. Archived from the original on April 19, 2018. Retrieved August 26, 2017.
    "Report: Medal of Honor exaggeration? – USATODAY.com". USATODAY.COM. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved August 26, 2017.
    "Medal of Honor recipient's story questioned". cbsnews.com. December 15, 2011. Archived from the original on December 16, 2011. Retrieved December 15, 2011.
  25. ^ a b Meyer, Dakota (June 18, 2013). Into the Fire: A Firsthand Account of the Most Extraordinary Battle in the Afghan War. Random House Trade Paperback. ISBN 9780679645443. OCLC 863042823.
  26. ^ "Afghan ambush heroics go unrecognized". Army Times. Archived from the original on September 17, 2013. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
  27. ^ "Former Army Captain To Receive Medal Of Honor". Huffington Post. September 16, 2013. Archived from the original on September 20, 2013.
  28. ^ "Dakota Meyer". IMDb. Archived from the original on April 13, 2017. Retrieved July 21, 2018.
  29. ^ "About Us". VETPAW. Archived from the original on September 10, 2015. Retrieved August 30, 2015.
  30. ^ "Medal of Honor recipient Dakota Meyer calls for legalization of medical marijuana in Kentucky". WDRB. March 2, 2018. Archived from the original on March 11, 2018. Retrieved March 11, 2018.
  31. ^ Grimes, Alison Lundergan; Meyer, Dakota (March 7, 2018). "It's time to legalize medical marijuana in Kentucky". Lexington Herald-Leader. Archived from the original on March 11, 2018. Retrieved March 11, 2018.
  32. ^ "Bristol Palin's betrothed, Dakota Meyer, Lied? Wedding Date off Over Cassandra Wain?". The TeCake. December 10, 2020. Retrieved March 21, 2021.
  33. ^ "Bristol Palin and Medal of Honor recipient Dakota Meyer engaged". CNN. March 14, 2015. Archived from the original on April 22, 2015. Retrieved March 14, 2015.
  34. ^ Ly, Laura (May 19, 2015). "Bristol Palin's wedding is called off". CNN. Archived from the original on May 19, 2015. Retrieved May 19, 2015.
    Palin, Bristol (May 26, 2015). "The Wedding That Didn't Happen". Patheos.com. Archived from the original on May 30, 2015. Retrieved June 27, 2015.
  35. ^ Palin, Bristol (June 25, 2015). "Big News". Patheos. Archived from the original on June 30, 2015. Retrieved July 3, 2015.
  36. ^ "Bristol Palin Gives Birth to a Baby Girl, Shares Sweet Photos". E!. December 24, 2016. Archived from the original on April 22, 2016. Retrieved June 10, 2016.
  37. ^ Rayne, Naya (January 5, 2016). "Sarah Palin Slams Bristol's Ex-Fiancé After He Asks for Joint Custody of Baby Sailor: He Is Trying to 'Save Face'". Archived from the original on January 6, 2016. Retrieved January 6, 2016.
  38. ^ Bacardi, Francesca (March 10, 2016). "Bristol Palin and Dakota Meyer Reach Custody Agreement Over Baby Sailor". Archived from the original on April 21, 2016. Retrieved April 26, 2016.
  39. ^ "Bristol Palin marries Medal of Honor recipient Dakota Meyer". Fox News. June 8, 2016. Archived from the original on June 8, 2016. Retrieved June 9, 2016.
  40. ^ Heller, Corinne (December 9, 2016). "Bristol Palin Is Pregnant With Her Third Child". E! Online. Archived from the original on December 10, 2016. Retrieved December 10, 2016.
  41. ^ "Bristol Palin And Husband Dakota Meyer Welcome Baby Girl" Archived May 9, 2017, at the Wayback Machine. Huffington Post. May 8, 2017.
    "Bristol Palin and Husband Dakota Meyer Welcome Daughter — See the Cute Pic!" Archived May 9, 2017, at the Wayback Machine. People. May 8, 2017.
  42. ^ Mandell, Andrea (February 13, 2018). "Bristol Palin's husband, Dakota Meyer, files for divorce, cites 'conflict of personalities'". USA Today. Archived from the original on March 10, 2018. Retrieved March 11, 2018.
  43. ^ Radar Staff (August 2, 2018). "Bristol Palin's Ex Confirms Divorce Finalized: Couple Sharing 50/50 Custody Of Kids". Radar Online. Archived from the original on August 8, 2018. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
  44. ^ O'Neill, Robert; Meyer, Dakota (2022). The Way Forward: Master Life's Toughest Battles and Create Your Lasting Legacy. Dey Street Books.
  45. ^ "Citation". Medal of Honor Sgt Dakota Meyer. United States Marine Corps. Archived from the original on November 24, 2011. Retrieved August 15, 2011.
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