MARSOC Manoukian, Matthew Patrick

[John Robertson]

• SURNAME

Manoukian​

• FORENAME

Matthew Patrick​

• UNIT

Marine Special Operations Regiment (Company C,1 Marine S.O. Bn)​

• RANK

Captain​

• NUMBER

• DATE OF DEATH

10th August 2012​

• AGE

29​

• GRAVESITE

Unknown​

• ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

from Los Altos Hills, California​

born 22.02.1983​

graduated St Francis High School, Mountain View, California​

entered service 2006​

1 Bn 4 Marine Regiment​

1 MSOB March 2010​

awards Navy Cross (posthumous), Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (x2)​

KIA Sangin District, Helmand Province, Afghanistan​

​

Capt. Matthew P. Manoukian, 29, of Los Altos Hills, Calif., died Aug. 10 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 1st Marine Special Operations Battalion, Camp Pendleton, Calif. Captain Matthew Patrick Manoukian was born February 22, 1983 to Socrates Peter Manoukian and Patricia Bamattre-Manoukian. He grew up in Los Altos with younger brothers Michael and Martin. He attended St. Nicholas school (graduated 1997) and St. Francis High School (graduated 2001). He attended and graduated from University of Arizona in 2005.

After graduating Officer Candidates School in March of 2006, he entered an Infantry Officer Course, graduating in December of that year. The next year, Matthew was stationed at Camp Pendleton until he was deployed for his first tour of duty in the town of Anah in Al-Anbar Province in Western Iraq. He began a long process of studying the history and cultures of the Middle East. He learned to speak Arabic.

During that tour, he was injured by a roadside IED and suffered a concussion. Despite his injury, he was able to put a tourniquet on the bleeding leg of a comrade, saving his life. He was Medevaced to al-Asad Air Force Base and insisted that he be turned to his men as soon as he was cleared for duty. Information provided by the Manoukian family.

Captain Matthew P. Manoukian was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for extraordinary heroism while serving as Team Leader with Marine Special Operations Team 8133 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.