CLEVELAND - -- A Kansas City, Mo., native was awarded the Bronze Star Medal Aug. 28 for his devotion to service as a battalion surgeon while deployed to Iraq.
Navy Capt. Matthew C. Gratton was the surgeon for 3rd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team-2, 2nd Marine Division, during combat operations in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom from January to September 2005 in Al Anbar Province, Iraq.
Gratton was responsible for the health of 1,700 Marines, sailors and Iraqi soldiers based in two camps and three firm bases. He organized medical visits and provided specialized medical care to more than 1,000 patients. Gratton also coordinated personnel and material support for more than 500 Iraqi Army personnel.
He provided trauma care to the battalion’s 345 wounded in action, 150 of whom were serious enough for evacuation. Forty-six Marines and two corpsmen with the battalion made the ultimate sacrifice for democracy in Iraq.
“It’s a great honor, but really, the corpsmen did the work,” said Gratton. “They did the tough stuff, and I’m getting the award.
“Two of our corpsmen were killed in action, and this award is symbolic of the sacrifices they made along with those who were wounded.”
According to Navy Capt. Rom A. Stevens, the surgeon for 4th Marine Division, Gratton’s last stint on active duty before volunteering with 3/25 was as a battalion surgeon more than 15 years ago.
“I was surprised that they had to dig so deep to get a 50-year-old Navy captain with a hip replacement,” he said. “But having said that, I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything.”
After leaving active duty years ago, Gratton continued working in emergency medicine and is the director of Emergency Medical Services for Kansas City.
Gratton believes having that experience provides the ideal mix for being a battalion surgeon. “Training corpsman is similar to training paramedics and emergency medical technicians,” he said.
“On multiple occasions, his skill as a physician saved life and limb,” states the citation awarding Gratton the Bronze Star Medal.
He began demobilization almost a year ago and returned full time to his civilian job, but Gratton’s commitment to the Marine Corps did not end. He continued to track the Marines retained on active duty due to medical issues, according to Stevens.
“He organized the first unit in Marine Forces Reserve for the Department of Defense required Post Deployment Health Reassessment,” said Stevens. “This is the first year MFR went through this, and the captain was instrumental in getting that going for his battalion.”
In addition, Gratton spent his own time mentoring medical officers with planned deployments so that they can benefit from his experience in combat Stevens said
Gratton’s devotion to duty is reflected not only through his actions, but also his comments on receiving the Bronze Star.
“It was an honor and a privilege to serve with the Marines,” he said.