Today, Rep. Nick LaLota (R-Suffolk County) honored Stony Brook’s Nate Bruckenthal, who gave the ultimate sacrifice in service to our great nation on April 24th, 2004. Last week, LaLota spoke on the House floor to honor Bruckenthal.
“Nate Bruckenthal epitomized the highest ideals of selflessness and sacrifice, consistently placing his country's needs above his own life. His courageous actions not only saved numerous fellow Sailors but also stand as a testament to his unwavering bravery and heroism,” said LaLota. “In the face of grave personal peril, Nate's bravery serves as a poignant reminder of the extraordinary courage our service members aspire to embody. His dedicated service to our nation shall forever remain etched in our collective memory.”
Background:
Nate Bruckenthal was born in Stony Brook, NY, and joined the U.S. Coast Guard in 1999. He was later stationed on the USCGC Point Wells based out of USCG Station Montauk.
Because of his unique skills and abilities, he was chosen to be among the first Coast Guardsmen deployed to Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom in early 2003. While there, he received the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal and a Combat Action Ribbon for action in and around the port of Um Qasar.
In March 2004, at the request of his command staff, he volunteered for a second deployment to Iraq. Only weeks after discovering that his wife was carrying his unborn child, Nathan Bruckenthal and two U.S. Navy sailors were killed when a suicide bomber attacked their rigid hull inflatable boat. Nathan had been chosen to become a part of the Taclet’s training unit and his job that afternoon was to instruct Navy personnel on how to conduct maritime interdiction operations. The team observed a suspicious vessel, which did not heed their commands. The team intercepted the vessel. This selfless act of courage protected the crew aboard the U.S.S. Firebolt, the off-shore oil platform, and the oil terminal itself at Khawr Al Amaya, in the northern Arabian Gulf.
For this action, Nathan was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart Medal, the Bronze Star Medal with Valor, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal with oak leaf, and his second Combat Action Ribbon. He was laid to rest with many of America’s best at Arlington National Cemetery. Nate is the first Coast Guardsman killed in action since the Vietnam War.