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Escambia Native Receives Purple Heart In Afghanistan
September 1, 2012
An Escambia County native was awarded the Purple Heart Friday at Camp Leatherneck in Afghanistan for wounds received in action while deployed to Afghanistan under U.S. Naval Forces Central Command.
Equipment Operator 1st Class Robert W. Dorch was one of two sailors presented the Purple Heart by Maj. Gen. Charles M. Gurganus, commanding general for Regional Command Southwest, in a ceremony on Camp Krutke, the Seabee camp located on Camp Leatherneck.
Dorch was wounded on August 9, 2012, when the bulldozer he was operating absorbed the explosion of an improvised explosive device while NMCB 11 was supporting a village stability platform in southern Afghanistan.
“Thank God for armored plating,” Dorch said. “I feel very fortunate to be here.”
Homeported in Gulfport, Miss., NMCB-11 is deployed to Afghanistan to conduct general, mobility, survivability engineering operations, defensive operations, Afghan National Army partnering and detachment of units in combined/joint operations area.
Pictured above: Maj. Gen. Charles M. Gurganus, commanding general of Regional Command Southwest, presents a Purple Heart to Equipment Operator 1st Class Robert W. Dorch, an Escambia County native. Pictured below: The presentation was made Friday at Camp Leatherneck in Afghanistan. Photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Jonathon Carmichael for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Comments
13 Responses to “Escambia Native Receives Purple Heart In Afghanistan”
Keep up the good work & thank you & all for your dedicated service to us all. USA !!!
worked with his dad at the post office … good man
JOB WELL DONE! Appreciate your dedication.
Thank you Lord for those who serve and protect our country. This is a story that will make you proud and put a smile on your face.
as the father of a C B currently on deployment i know what his family must have gone throudh i say thank you and that C B s CAN DO thank you
Thank you to all our service men and women who are protecting our freedom…sometimes I think we forget how much freedom we have and we owe to these brave people who serve their country!
The hard way to earn a medal but Best Wishes to himand wear it with pride! I am proud of him, and I hope lots of others are too!
Thanks for your service, God Bless the USA.
thank you EO1 Dortch for your service to our country. glad that you were not harmed too much. may god bless you and your family.
to robert dortch and brooks sanderson, thank you for serving…….being away from your families and home…….in such a dangerous place. we forget to be thankful for the freedoms we enjoy. we are so fortunate to have individuals such as these to represent what america truly stands for.
Sea Bees Can Do! Thanks EO1 Dortch.
EO1 Robert Dorch is an exceptional man and I am very proud to know him. I was very suprised to find out we were both from Pensacola and knew a lot of the same people. I am honored to have him in my platoon. Thank you NorthEscambia.com for writing this article, he deserves it.
Thank you for the great write up, it’s very appreciated.