For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
November 10, 2006

Fact Sheet: President Bush Dedicates the National Museum of the Marine Corps and Announces He Will Award Corporal Jason Dunham the Medal of Honor

      President Bush Attends Dedication of the National Museum of the Marine Corps
      In Focus: Veterans

Today, At The Dedication Of The National Museum Of The Marine Corps, President Bush Announced He Will Award The Medal Of Honor (Posthumous) To Corporal Jason Dunham.

• On April 14, 2004, Corporal Dunham Heroically Saved The Lives Of Two Of His Fellow Marines By Jumping On A Grenade During An Ambush In The Town Of Karabilah. When a nearby Marine convoy was ambushed, Corporal Dunham led his squad to the site of the attack, where he and his men stopped a convoy of cars trying to make an escape. As he moved to search one of the vehicles, an insurgent jumped out and grabbed the corporal by the throat. The corporal engaged the enemy in hand-to-hand combat. At one point, he shouted to his fellow Marines, "No. No. No. Watch his hand." Moments later, an enemy grenade rolled out and Corporal Dunham jumped on the grenade to protect his fellow Marines, using his helmet and body to absorb the blast. Corporal Dunham succumbed to his wounds on April 22, 2004.

• Today Would Have Been Corporal Dunham's 25th Birthday. Corporal Dunham was a native of Scio, New York.

The Medal Of Honor Is America's Highest Decoration For Valor. The Medal of Honor, established by Joint Resolution of Congress, is awarded in the name of Congress to a person who, while a member of the Armed Forces, distinguishes himself conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while engaged in an action against any enemy of the United States, while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing foreign force, or while serving with friendly foreign forces engaged in an armed conflict against an opposing armed force in which the United States is not a belligerent party. Corporal Dunham's family will be presented the medal at an upcoming ceremony at the White House.

Since Taking Office, President Bush Has Awarded Six Medals Of Honor. Three were for Vietnam, one was for World War II, one was for Korea, and one was for Iraq.

President Bush Dedicates The National Museum Of The Marine Corps

Today We Celebrate The 231st Birthday Of One Of The World's Premier Fighting Forces, And We Mark The Opening Of Our Nation's Most Modern Military Museum. In this museum, visitors will feel what it is like to go through boot camp, land on a World War II beach under fire, or deploy from a helicopter in a hot zone in Vietnam. The museum is shaped in the form of the famous photograph of the flag-raising on Iwo Jima.

• The Marine Corps Traces Its Founding To A Philadelphia Tavern In 1775. Every Marine can name the famous battles, legends, and heroes that stretch from the Halls of Montezuma to the deserts of Iraq.

• Since 9/11, More Than 190,000 Men And Women Have Stepped Forward To Wear The Uniform Of The Marine Corps. Years from now – when America looks out on a democratic Middle East growing in freedom and prosperity – Americans will speak of battles like Fallujah with the same awe and reverence that we now give to Guadalcanal and Iwo Jima.

# # #