One day in April 2004, Cpl. Jason Dunham and his men were patrolling an insurgent stronghold near the Syrian border when an Iraqi leapt out and grabbed the 22-year-old Marine around the neck. Dunham, seeing his attacker had dropped a live grenade, snatched off his helmet and put it over the explosive.
The helmet did help blunt the explosion — and saved the lives of others. But Dunham suffered serious injuries from flying shrapnel. Eight days later, he died from his wounds. His actions earned him a Medal of Honor nomination.
In a new book, Wall Street Journal reporter Michael Phillips chronicles the incident, and the effort to save Dunham's life. Michele Norris talks to Phillips about Dunham's story.
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