For his heroic actions of exposing himself to enemy gunfire to attempt to save two fellow soldiers, Army Staff Sergeant Salvatore Giunta will become the first service member from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars to receive the nation's highest military honor while living. The seven previous medals for service in the Iraq and Afghanistan campaigns were awarded posthumously.
Giunta went above and beyond the call of duty when he exposed himself to enemy fire to pull a fellow soldier back to cover, engaged the enemy again when he saw two insurgents carrying away a wounded soldier, killing one insurgent and wounding the other before tending to one of the soldiers, who died the next day.
Giunta was previously awarded a Bronze Star and Purple Heart, among other medals. Giunta, according to his parents, is very reserved about receiving the award. He is humbled by the honor, believing he was simply doing what he was supposed to be doing.
Steven Giunta, Staff Sgt. Giunta's father, said, "He mentions every other soldier would have done the same thing. It kind of rocks his world that he's being awarded the Medal of Honor for something each and every one of them would have done. He's very aware of that."
Giunta will be awarded his medal at a White House ceremony at a date yet to be determined.
-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary
First Medal of Honor for a living Afghan war vet - Yahoo News, Associated Press
No comments:
Post a Comment