Sierra peak named after Marine who died defending his comrades

Marine Staff Sgt. Sky Mote, 27, of El Dorado, Calif., was killed in Afghanistan in August 2012 while defending his fellow Marines. A peak in the John Muir Wilderness has been named after him to honor his bravery. less Marine Staff Sgt. Sky Mote, 27, of El Dorado, Calif., was killed in Afghanistan in August 2012 while defending his fellow Marines. A peak in the John Muir Wilderness has been named after him to honor his ... more Photo: USMC Photo: USMC Image 1 of / 4 Caption Close Sierra peak named after Marine who died defending his comrades 1 / 4 Back to Gallery

When Marine Staff Sgt. Sky Mote heard gunfire erupt in an adjoining room of his battalion's tactical operations center in Afghanistan's Helmand province, he sprung into action rather than escape to safety.

An Afghan policeman had opened fire on Mote's comrades.

According to a Navy citation, "(Mote) instead grabbed his M4 rifle and entered the operations room, courageously exposing himself to a hail of gunfire in order to protect his fellow Marines. In his final act of bravery, he boldly engaged the gunman, now less than five meters in front of him, until falling mortally wounded."

More than five years after Mote's selfless action on Aug. 10, 2012, Congress is honoring the El Dorado man's heroism by designating an unnamed peak in the John Muir Wilderness of the Sierra National Forest as "Sky Point." President Donald Trump this month signed H.R. 381, the bill authorizing the naming of the peak.

The mountain was chosen because it overlooks a region where Mote often hiked and camped.

In a statement last week, U.S. Rep. Tom McClintock, R-4th District, said:, "We will not allow the young men from our region who perished in service to our country to be forgotten. Nor will we ever forget the daily anguish of the Gold Star families they leave behind. This bill is a small token of the commitment of our country and our community to remember the fallen and to grieve with their families."

Mote, who was 27 when he died, is credited with forcing the Afghan attacker to flee. For his bravery, he was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross — the second-highest honor a Marine can receive.

But, according to the Sierra Sun Times, his father, Russell, recalled that "He never cared about medals. He never showed them to us. Once, I found one in his laundry."

Capt. Matthew Manoukian, 29, of Los Altos Hills, Calif., also gave his life to defend his fellow Marines in the Helmand province attack.

Manoukian was the son of Judge Socrates "Peter" Manoukian of Santa Clara County Superior Court and Associate Justice Patricia Bamattre-Manoukian of the Sixth District Court of Appeal in San Jose.