Honoring the brave: Marine Sgt. Maj. Bradley A. Kasal.

On Nov. 14, 2004, Marines were fighting house-to-house in Fallujah, Iraq. First Sgt. Bradley A. Kasal, a Weapons Company first sergeant for 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, was assisting in the fight when intense gunfire broke out in a nearby Iraqi home.

Several Marines were able to escape the house--which was later given the moniker "Hell House"--but others were pinned down inside. Kasal said there wasn't time to think about the consequences.

"I'm not going to leave Marines behind in the hands of insurgents at any cost," said Kasal. "I was told they were wounded. I was afraid of them ending up on television being beheaded later. I knew we had to get in there fast, we had to get in and get them."

The house was a death trap. Upon entering, Kasal killed one insurgent at extreme close range. AK-47 gunfire was erupting from all directions, and he took his first hit from behind.

To pull one Marine--Lance Cpl. Alex Nichol--out of the line of fire, Kasal exposed himself to repeated enemy fire. Under cover, he and the young Marine assessed their wounds.

"There weren't enough bandages. I thought it's either one of us lives or both of us die. So I wanted my bandages to go to him," Kasal recalled. "I never think I'm done. But realistically, the thought crossed my mind that I would bleed to death. I thought it was better to treat him."

While Kasal was treating Nichol for his wounds, insurgents lobbed a grenade within two feet of the men. Kasal covered the young Marine, protecting him from shrapnel.

Help was on enroute. As Marines fought their way into the house, the first sergeant ordered them to treat the lance corporal. He took a fighting position to protect them as they treated and evacuated Nichol.

In the battle, Kasal was shot seven times by the enemy and sustained more than 40 shrapnel wounds.

As Kasal left the house, civilian photographer Lucian M. Read captured an image of Lance Corporals Chris Marquez and Dan Shaffer helping the first sergeant finally evacuate to safety.

The photograph, which has been displayed at Marine Corps installations all over the world, is considered to be one of the Iraq war's iconic images.

The road to recovery for Kasal has been a long and continuing struggle.

After refusing medical care initially, he was evacuated to a field hospital in Iraq.

According to the Marine Corps, he lost more than 60 percent of his blood from the wounds. Initial surgery only cleaned out the wound. He was given transfusions and sent to the U.S. military hospital in Landstuhl, Germany.

Kasal lost four and a half inches of leg, and underwent more than 20 surgeries.

He spent Christmas at Bethesda Naval Medical Center near Washington, D.C. It was a low point for the single man who considered his Marines his family. As soon as he was able, he was in a wheelchair, visiting his fellow battle wounded troops.

The doctors wanted to amputate Kasal's leg. He wanted to stay in the Marine Corps.

"I wanted to be back in Iraq. I wanted to be over there and I was not," Kasal said. "So, I'd wheel around and ask people how they were doing and take the conversation from there. I'd try to reassure them. We'd just talk about whatever they wanted to talk about."

On April 30, Kasal's father died, one day before the Marine was promoted to sergeant major and awarded the Navy Cross for heroism in Iraq. He reenlisted for three years.

Today, Kasal serves as the sergeant major of a recruiting station in Des Moines, Iowa (he is from nearby Afton).

The pain endures. Kasal suffers from loss of motion, arthritis, back injuries, poor blood circulation and other health problems.

"I'm getting around fairly well. I'm not even close to 100 percent and I probably never will be," admits the sergeant major. "I have a lot of issues

I'll have to deal with for the rest of my life."

"Men like Sgt. Maj. Kasal epitomize the sacrifices our brave men and women in uniform are willing to make for their brothers in arms and our nation," said DAV National Service Director Randy Reese. "The least we can do to show our gratitude is to continue the tradition of care and service we've provided generations of wounded warriors."

Despite the trauma Kasal has endured, he said the most difficult challenge he's faced is the pain of being away from his Marines in Iraq.

His goal, he said, is to recover enough to serve in Iraq again. If he can't get back to health, he said he'd retire.

Following his road to recovery, Kasal said he recognizes the issues Marines and other servicemembers face after becoming injured or disabled as a result of their service. Medical care for veterans, job placement, disability benefits and other issues are close to his heart.

"Some of these people can't work again. Or they're limited on what they can do. There are others with loss of limbs," he said. "It's paramount that the people who went over and served and gave a part of their health or a part of their body get proper care and benefits for the rest of their life."

He's grateful that veterans service organizations are looking out for the returning warriors.

"I know organizations like DAV are taking care of disabled veterans. It's a good organization. There can't be enough help out there for our veterans," Kasal said.