CAMP PENDLETON — Boyish-looking and Midwestern to the core, John Ethan Place loves football games in the fall and traipsing through the woods hunting quail and deer with his dad, a retired school administrator.
Back home in Lake St. Louis, Mo., he's a regular at the nearby Baptist church.
He's also an expert at one of the most difficult aspects of warfare. He's a sniper, able to kill an enemy at 1,000 yards or more with a single shot.
On Friday, the 22-year-old sergeant received the Silver Star, the military's third-highest honor for bravery in combat.
In the battle for Fallouja, Iraq, in April 2004, Place had 32 confirmed kills, from April 11 to April 24, of insurgents who were trying to sneak into position to attack Marines from Echo Company of the 2nd Battalion, 1st Regiment.
Many of the kills came after he maneuvered amid the rubble of the Sunni Triangle city and then waited for hours in a concealed position for just the right moment to pull the trigger. It's likely none of the 32 knew Place had them in his rifle sights.
Maj. Gen. Richard F. Natonski, commander of the 1st Marine Division, said Place has earned a spot among the Marine Corps' top heroes, including the legendary sniper from Vietnam, Gunnery Sgt. Carlos Hathcock.
To the public, the sniper may be seen as a killer who strikes from ambush. But the troops of Echo Company are certain there are Marines who made it home alive solely because of Place.
"He didn't kill 32 people. He saved numerous lives by protecting our perimeter," said Sgt. Maj. William Skiles. "That's how the Marines look at it."
Natonski said the insurgents were so afraid of Place and other snipers that they pleaded with the U.S. to withdraw them while negotiations were underway. "It's hard to believe that one individual could have had such an impact on our combat operations," Natonski said.
The citation accompanying the Silver Star does not mention the figure 32, and the sniper mission is described in military-ese: "Place's keen observation skills ensured his supported rifle company maintained a lethal, long-range response to enemy attacks."
Navy Lt. Cmdr. Jeff Saville, the battalion chaplain, told Marines and civilians gathered for the award ceremony that although all life is precious "evil must be restrained sometimes by force."
