Aug 08 , 2020
Meet the Navy SEAL who was shot 27 times and lived to tell the story
Navy SEAL Sr. Chief Mike Day had never been shot before, but that changed dramatically one night in April 2007.
In 2007, Mike Day was caught in a brutal firefight with three al-Qaeda insurgents after he was the first of his team to enter a room in a town near Fallujah, Iraq. The enemy fighters opened fire, hitting Day with 27 separate bullets. 11 of the shots were stopped by his body armor, but 16 penetrated his body and left him perilously wounded.
A grenade then exploded just 10 feet away from him, knocking him unconscious. According to Day, when he woke up roughly a minute later, he managed to kill two of the fighters with his pistol.
“Upon entering that doorway, they all just opened up on me. It felt like somebody was just beating me up with sledgehammers,” Day said.
“After I’d figured out I was getting shot I said, ‘God, get me home to my girls.’ That was my first prayer to God, real prayer. When the fighting finally stopped, he miraculously got up and walked himself to a medical helicopter.
“People hear about my story and they can’t believe it. I was there and I can’t believe it,” Day said. “I got shot 27 times – 16 in the body and 11 times in my body armor. ”
“I was shot in both legs, both arms, my left thumb was almost amputated, I was shot in the abdomen and had a colostomy bag for a year, my right scapula was shattered, I was shot twice in the buttocks, once in the scrotum and my body armor was hit multiple times which caused fractured ribs and contusions on my lungs.”
The Navy SEAL spent just 16 days in the hospital – during which time he lost 50lbs – before he was discharged and awarded the Purple Heart, the oldest military decoration still given to serving military members in the US.
During the following years, he was treated for PTSD by the Carrick Brain Centers, in Dallas.
Related Posts
One Man Tank Killer Earns Medal of Honor
Combat Killing Spree over his brother being killed in action
Medal of Honor Earned while “Wearing a White Robe…Carrying 12 hand grenades”
53 Comments
And I thought I had a story.. Glad you made it shipmate!
There are not enough words to say thanks to God and men like you that protects us here at home master chief. The thing that most of you true hero’s have in common is there love for God and country and in that order. May God always watch over you and your family and the men and women serving in the armed forces of this great country.
What a story Mike. I’ll thank God tonight for helping you survive the fight. I have so much admiration for you and all the guys like you that are willing to give up everything. Thank you for your service.
You are an amazing person that has every bit of respect I can give. I hope your life improves and you can have a good life.
Thank you for giving of yourself for our country. You are a special human being.
May god watch over you
Good day Mike – if your in Dallas come by and visit an ex -Navy Hospital corpsman who has taken care of many wounded warriors of the Vietnam War. I have been fortunate to use creativity in the visual arts to move past the trauma of those experiences.
I am available to talk, share, and give insights when needed…1914 Moser Ave. East Dallas 75206 ..can’t miss my house with all the sculpture in the front yard…bring your family. e – mail: artsmarts@sbcglobal.net
Peace, David/Barbara (her father was in three wars)