A Word From Brandon's Family

Corporal Presley was the vehicle commander for the second Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement (MTVR) in the convoy. As the convoy passed a taxi that had pulled off to the right side of route , the taxi pulled out and into the path of Corporal Presley's vehicle. When Corporal Presley observed this he immediately started to initiate escalation of force procedures. Due to the fact that the vehicle was non-responsive, Corporal Presley drew his M16 A4 and was preparing to engage the lone occupant of the taxi. As he did this, the SVBIED initiated its device early, before it had actually impacted the MTVR. This action undoubtedly saved the life of the MTVR driver. Corporal Presley was wounded by shrapnel in the blast and later died of his wounds.

Corporal Presley's quick actions saved not only his driver, but also the cargo that they were carrying, the Iraqi ballots. He valiantly put his fellow marines and mission accomplishment ahead of his own safety.Also the truck
( which had the Marine reporters in front of Brandon truck )was the target of the car and Brandon pervented it from going into it and saved their lives also.

We didn't learn any of this till later after we talked to some of the Marines that was in the convoy with him and the driver that was with Brandon. ............. Brandon got his stripe for Cpl while he was in Iraq and was very proud of it. He told us that he didn't have to do crumy jobs any more. .......... then Pam got the call that Brandon had been hit and that he he only had a few cuts and a broken leg. Which we was glad in a way because we were looking for him to be able to come home by Xmas. But that wasn't the case they called Pam back the next morning and told her it was more serious then they thought. That she needed to go to Germany. By the time she got there he was gone. Brain injuries. It is still hard for Pam. He was the love of her life.