“A hero reservist saved a British Army colonel by jumping in front of him as he was pelted with bullets in Afghanistan, it has emerged,” Eleanor Harding reports for The Daily Mail. “The serviceman, an American who normally works for technology giant Apple, acted as a human shield when the colonel came under fire from a rogue Afghan soldier with an assault rifle.”
“He returned fire with his rifle and pistol, but was shot six times himself as he leapt to defend the senior officer,” Harding reports. “Two of the bullets hit him in one of his legs, while one tore into his shoulder and three rounds were stopped by his bulletproof vest.”
“His amazing act of heroism is believed to have saved the life of the senior British officer, as it is understood he was wearing no body armour,” Harding reports. “The soldier works as a customer service manager at the Apple Campus, the company’s headquarters in Cupertino, California.”
Read more in the full article here.
“The reservist, who has not been named, used his body as a shield to literally ‘take a bullet’ for the senior British officer,” David Barrett reports for The Telegraph. “Details of the act of heroism were revealed in an American casualty report… The attack by Mohammad Rafiqullah killed Major General Harold Greene, the deputy commanding general, Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan.”
Barrett reports, “Maj Gen Greene was the highest ranking US officer to be killed in hostilities since Lt Gen Timothy Joseph Maude was killed by a hijacked airliner that crashed into the Pentagon, on September 11, 2001. A similar ranking officer has not been killed overseas since the Vietnam War.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Hero.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Readers “Paul Janders” and “TheloniousMac” for the heads up.]
WOW! From title of post thought it would be a story about how Apple’s iPhone was of big help to save the colonel, but not this, such selfless act! US Army proud and genuine American hero, right there!
Big time hero, great job!
Great job! And thankfully he survived… There is another man who didn’t. He was tortured and killed to save a life…YOURS! Imagine that – taking the punishment for you…what love!
Interestingly, He said ‘there is no greater love than when someone gives his life for another’. So this ‘Apple hero’ was showing love for someone else according to Jesus…but I wonder what the Westboro crowd will have to say about this?
Thankfully, almost nobody cares what the Westboro crowd has to say. About anything.
I’m hoping that the Westboro Baptist Church essentially died with its jackass leader, Fred Phelps, who thankfully left this world in March, may heavens eternity surrounded by homosexuals.
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
the real deal.
I’ll never look at Apple tech as nerdy, computer tech guy ever again! Way to go to a true hero!
There is plenty of debate to be had regarding the purpose of Brittish (as well as American) military involvement in Afghanistan, but in this particular case, all of that is rather irrelevant. A man made decision to protect another man’s life with his own, knowing that his own chances of survival were greater than the other man’s, although not by all that much (he was wearing the bullet-proof vest, the other wasn’t). By luck, both men survived, which should be an excellent excuse for those who are in a position to make decisions to recognise the significance of this selfless act and reward this man for the (almost) ultimate good deed (the ultimate, of course, being sacrificing life to save another). We can’t do much good to those who do the ultimate sacrifice (except when they leave family behind), but since this man has plenty of living ahead of him, there is a great opportunity to properly show gratitude.
And by reward, I mean making an effort to find out what are this man’s aspirations and trying to help him meet them (finishing school, opening a business, buying a house, starting a family, whatever), not necessarily giving him some cash and forgetting about him.
If that reservist had been British, he’d probably be up for a George Cross right about now and if the colonel had any sense, he’d give the guy a crate of 20 year old single malt and a lifetime pass to the Royal Enclosure at Ascot.
That man is a hero! He clearly has a pair the size of a small planet. Sir, I salute you!
=:~)
I don’t believe there is a barrier for a country to present a military award to a soldier from a allied country. There would be a process where a request is made and agreement received.
As for the soldier, Well Done and all the best for a rapid recovery/rehab.
Ken, I’m pretty sure you’re right. I shall write to my Member of Parliament and ask him to make the appropriate noises in Whitehall.
=:~)
Wow. That’s one seriously heroic soldier. If his name does come out he’ll be treated like a king when he comes to the UK.
And I say “when” because he’ll have absolutely no shortage of invitations.
As for the death of General Greene, I’m not usually an Obama basher, and I hate it when people inject politics where they don’t belong, but I find it outrageous that our president has not commented on his death, nor did he attend the funeral. This is a very big deal. The soldier who acted with such incredible bravery deserves nothing less than the CMH. Obama should be visiting his hospital bed instead of playing golf.
Except, you know, he did.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/theoval/2014/08/07/obama-harold-green-afghanistan-general/13727349/
I stand corrected. But I would hope it would be something a little more meaningful than a comment at a bill signing.
Victoria Cross
or
Conspicuous Gallantry Cross
A true hero.
What does this have to do with Apple?
Apple employee acts heroically while fulfilling his Army Reserve obligations.
How is this not about Apple?
Or are you only interested when it cast Apple in a negative light?
True hero! May God bless him! Thank you for your service!
Does anyone know the name of the hero ??? I’ve looked all over the internet.
There is an article from the Sacramento Bee that tells this hero’s story.
http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/article8085873.html#tabs-b0710947-1-tabPane-2
There is also a playlist located on youtube.
He is a great hero and I send my best wishes for a full recovery. It was my pleasure to have had the opportunity to work with you!