Congrat's to SSG Giunta; first living MoH recipient since Vietnam.

[Marc@AutoLavish]

http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/11/16/obama.medal.of.honor/index.html?hpt=T1

Washington (CNN) -- A 25-year-old Army staff sergeant from Iowa on Tuesday became the first living recipient of the Medal of Honor since three service members from the Vietnam War were honored in 1976.

President Barack Obama awarded the nation's highest medal of valor to Staff Sgt. Salvatore Giunta -- the kind of soldier who leaves you "just absolutely convinced this is what America's all about," Obama said at the White House award ceremony. "It just makes you proud."

Giunta was a specialist serving with the Airborne 503rd Infantry Regiment on his second tour of duty in Afghanistan when his unit was attacked on the night of October 25, 2007. According to Defense Department documents, Giunta and his fellow soldiers were walking back to base along the top of a mountain ridge when the enemy attacked from their front and their left. Taliban fighters barraged the Americans with AK-47s, rocket propelled grenades and Soviet-era large machine guns.

Giunta saw several of his fellow soldiers go down. He ran forward, throwing grenades and returning enemy fire, to help one soldier who had been shot but was still fighting, the documents say. Then he noticed one of the wounded soldiers was missing.

Searching for his wounded friend Sgt. Josh Brennan, Giunta ran over a hill where moments before Taliban fighters had been shooting at him. Now he was alone, out of sight of his fellow soldiers, in an area that the Taliban had controlled just moments before.

Giunta saw two Taliban fighters dragging Brennan away. He ran after them, killing one and wounding the other, who ran off.

Giunta instantly started providing first aid to Brennan, who had been shot at least six times, the documents say. Eventually a medic arrived and a helicopter was called in to take Brennan to a hospital, but he later died of his wounds.

Giunta's action, however, meant that Brennan was not at the mercy of the Taliban, and his parents would be able to give him a proper burial instead of wondering what became of him.

Giunta's quick response to the Taliban attack also helped his unit repulse the enemy fighters before they could cause more casualties, the Defense Department documents note.

Giunta was shot twice, with one round hitting his body armor and the second destroying a weapon slung over his back. He was not seriously hurt.

His actions "embodied the warrior ethos that says I will never leave a comrade," Obama said. "This medal is a testament to his uncommon valor, but also the parents and community that raised him."

According to the White House, the Medal of Honor is awarded to "a member of the Armed Forces who distinguishes themselves conspicuously by gallantry above and beyond the call of duty ... The meritorious conduct must involve great personal bravery or self-sacrifice so conspicuous as to clearly distinguish the individual above his or her comrades and must have involved risk of life."

Giunta has said he is determined to make the medal, at least symbolically, belong to others.

"It is a great thing," Giunta told CNN after learning he would receive the medal. "But it is a great thing that has come at a personal loss to myself and so many other families."

Giunta said when he first learned he would receive the Medal of Honor, "I felt lost. I felt kind of angry ... just because, you know, this is so big. This is, it came at such a price. It came at the price of a good buddy of mine, not just Brennan. But Mendoza. Mendoza died that night as well."

The squadron's medic, Hugo Mendoza of El Paso, Texas, was caught with the rest of the group.

"These two men on that day made the biggest sacrifice anyone can ever make. And it's not for a paycheck."

Of course you probably won't be hearing much about this because England's future King is engaged. I originally posted this news in Hot Topics when it was announced he had been approved and would be receiving the award because there was nothing being said of it.
This occured when I was still deployed to Afghanistan a few years back. The 173rd Airborne had been having a lot of trouble in the mountains on the Pakistan boarder, and we even heard about some of it in our sector. I remember talking to a few of their infantry paratroopers when some of us ran into each other during mid-tour leave in December of '07 and we talked of the problem in our areas. Sounded like they had a lot of problems from the get go (especially because of the areas of their responsibility).

"Queen of Battle...Airborne Infantry!"



Oh, and in more local news, I plan on heading out to attend the funeral of Shane Reifert who was KIA in Afghanistan while serving as an infantryman in the 101st Airborne Division, and would encourage anyone that can make it to come out as well.

Shane's funeral will be held at Holy Cross Catholic Church in Marine City, Michigan. Reverend Ronald Jozwiak will be presiding. The church is located at 601 South Water Street, Marine City, MI 48039.


The funeral will take place on Wednesday, November 17.


Viewing will begin at 10:00 a.m. and the funeral will begin at 11:00 a.m.

http://myfallensoldier.blogspot.com/

 

[dave89iroc]

saw it on channel 7 news at noon