In 2004, Ethan Place earned a Silver Star for gallantry in action during the first battle of Fallujah in what some describe as the fiercest urban combat since the Vietnam War.
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As the only sniper attached to Echo Company, the 21-year-old’s mission was to provide cover for the troops on the ground. He killed over 30 enemy fighters in 13 days and terrorized thousands with his M40A3 sniper rifle.
“I didn’t care if it was the second coming of Christ, Santa Claus or the Easter bunny, it didn’t matter,” said Ethan Place. “If they were posing a threat to my fellow Marines I was going to take them out.”
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