Soldier earns Purple Hearts, medal for bravery in battle

Published 3:01 pm Thursday, September 27, 2007

By Ashley McCleery

The North Jefferson News



While fighting in Iraq this year, Trussville native Sgt. Jason Stegall has faced opposition head on, quite literally, and the holes in his breastplate and helmet prove it.

Serving as the team leader of B Company, 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, Stegall takes his job, directing and protecting his troops, seriously. So during a hostile firefight near Fallujah in the Al-Anbar province, Stegall’s main goal was to protect his men.

Realizing they were outnumbered, Stegall commanded the squad to move back to the trench in pairs. Despite a wound on his right side from an enemy’s bullet, which burned a hole into his breastplate, he led his troop to safety. For this selfless act, Stegall earned his first Purple Heart.

“Once we reached the trench, we called for help, popped a can of smoke for cover and were picked up and brought back into the base,” Stegall told Fort Richardson’s Alaska Post. “All I could think about was to make sure that my guys were okay.”

However, this injury did not stop Stegall from braving the dangers of his job. In May during an eight-hour guard shift, Stegall and Sgt. Ronald Crighton jumped into action when a truck advanced toward their post traveling against the right of way.

Since the driver ignored Stegall’s warning shot from his M-240B medium machine gun, Stegall fired a series of shots at the vehicle. The driver then lost control, and the truck veered off the road and exploded. The sheer force of the explosion knocked Stegall and Crighton unconscious.

Once they regained their composure, Stegall realized the explosion had triggered another attack, including a second truck bomb and small arms fire. Instinctively, Stegall grabbed a more powerful machine gun called a squad automatic weapon (SAW) and fired at the enemies on foot, while Crighton shot his M-4 rifle.

Shortly, the second truck bomb detonated, again knocking them to the ground. “I remember Stegall being a little disoriented but still firing at the truck bomb, killing the driver and causing it to detonate,” Crighton told the Post. “After we got back up from the second explosion, we just kept firing non-stop until the firefight was over.”

Several months later, Stegall was yet again placed in harm’s way. While paratroopers created a security perimeter around a target house, a sniper’s bullet struck the back of his helmet and exited the front, only leaving a small cut. For this event, Stegall earned a second Purple Heart.

Although this close encounter occurred in May, his family in Trussville and Gardendale just learned of the event last week. Since his wife, Ashley, was flustered with news of his first bullet, Stegall decided to tell only his father. But word spread fast when The Alaska Post detailed Stegall’s heroic efforts over the past year, so Stegall shared his experience with his wife when he talked to her on Monday.

“The first time I found out he’d been shot, I was scared and worried, thankful that he was okay. But the second time, I was shocked,” Ashley said. “I was shocked to know he had been hit, and I didn’t know about it.”

After talking to her husband, Ashley said she was just glad to hear his voice, which meant he was not seriously injured. “They were both such close calls. He wouldn’t be here today if something had been different. I thank God because both times were miracles,” Ashley said.

Stegall’s mother, Tina Stegall, is also praising God for her son’s safety. “It takes the breathe out of you and scares you to death when you hear about something like this. But, I’m thankful for answered prayer.”

Learning of the event also cleared up some confusion from the past couple of months. Ashley now understands why Stegall’s most recent pictures only depict his left side and why he’s named the luckiest guy in the unit.

But, she also knows her husband has earned two Purple Hearts and a pending Bronze Star Medal for valor, for which she said she couldn’t be more proud of him. “He stepped up to the plate when he needed to,” Ashley said. “I’m proud of him, and I love him. I can’t wait for him to come home.”