Marine denied Medal of Honor based on insufficient evidence

After Marine Sgt. Rafael Peralta was killed in Iraq in 2004, the Marines and the secretary of the Navy recommended him for the Medal of Honor. The request was denied in 2008 by then Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, and now an appeal to current secretary Leon Panetta has also been rejected, citing insufficient evidence to award Peralta with the military's highest honor. Fellow Marines claim Peralta threw himself on a grenade after having been mortally wounded, but a contradictory pathology report stated he died instantly of friendly fire and didn't consciously roll onto the grenade to protect his comrades. [Source]

Click to see more on msnNOW.com, updated 24 hours a day.