Marines with Wounded Warrior Battalion - West (WWBN-W) and Sailors from the USS Rafael Peralta (DDG 115) unite to compete in a 10-nautical-mile relay run in honor of the memory and sacrifice of Sgt. Rafael Peralta, at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif., at 9:00 a.m., Friday, June 1, 2018.

Peralta, a Navy Cross recipient, was killed during the second battle of Fallujah in November 2004.  He smothered a grenade with his body, absorbing the majority of the lethal blast and shrapnel. He died instantly, but saved the lives of his fellow Marines.

This is the not the first time the Marines and Sailors from each of the namesake facilities have come together to build "blue-green" camaraderie. Personnel from each organization participated in the dedication of the WWBN's West Coast headquarters in August of 2015, and the commissioning of the DDG 115 in July of 2017.
 
During this event, participants will complete the run either as teams or individuals on a 1-nautical-mile route around the battalion. Afterwards, the service members and their families will be hosted to a picnic lunch.

MEDIA: Organizations interested in covering the event should contact the Office of Communication at pendletonmedia@usmc.mil no later than 4:30 p.m., on May 31, 2018 to coordinate attendance. Additional coverage of the event can be found here: http://www.dvidshub.net/feature/Peralta

-30-