Heroes, not Pinky Punks

Heroes

“ Heroic marine throws himself on grenade A Royal Marine could receive the highest award for gallantry after he saved the lives of his comrades by throwing himself onto an exploding grenade in Afghanistan, it has been reported. Lance Corporal Matt Croucher amazingly survived the incident despite shrapnel peppering his helmet during the explosion.   His extraordinary courage, which could lead to a citation for the Victoria Cross, came after a tripwire booby-trap was stepped on during a nighttime mission outside the town of Sangin, Helmand province. A live hand-grenade was released threatening to blow up L/Cpl Croucher, 24 and the rest of the patrol. The marine shouted "grenade" and as his friends dived for cover L/Cpl Croucher lay with his back on the lethal device. ” I conjectured once about how many valorous acts were, while still valorous, performed by the clinically depressed who just didn't give a s*it?  My guess is, some.  But this throwing one's self onto a live grenade goes straight to a person's core make-up.  There is no time to be mad, pissed over you buddies being killed, etc.  You just react.  Lance Corporal  Croucher is one helluva guy, the sort of Brit I like to think I'm descended from.  By the by, this reminded me of a Myth Buster episode where they debunked, as I remembered,  that throwing your self on a live grenade would save your buddies.  After looking it up, I find that I mis-remembered.  Good thing. :) A hero could save his buddies by … covering a grenade with his own body. confirmed During the control test, the Mythbusters detonated a grenade with no obstacles with several plywood dummies around it at varying distances. The shrapnel inflicted lethal injuries on most of the dummies. For the actual test, the Mythbusters planted a ballistics gel dummy over the grenade before detonating it. While the ballistics gel dummy was completely destroyed, only one of the plywood dummies suffered any severe damage, and what damage was caused was not lethal. While the hero would undoubtedly die in the attempt, he would be able to save his comrades nearby.