Obama to Award First Medal of Honor

[justashooter 430]

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/09/10/obama-award-medal-honor-living-afghan-war-vet/

WASHINGTON -- President Obama will award the first Medal of Honor to go to a living service member who fought in the wars in Iraq or Afghanistan.

Staff Sgt. Salvatore Giunta served as a rifle team leader during combat operations in Afghanistan's Korengal Valley. The White House says Giunta went beyond the call of duty during an October 2007 attack when he exposed himself to enemy fire to pull a comrade back to cover.

When he later noticed two insurgents carrying away another fellow solider, Giunta engaged the enemy, killing one and wounding the other before providing medical aid to the wounded U.S. soldier.

Obama spoke with Giunta Thursday to inform him he would receive the nation's highest military honor.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/24/magazine/24afghanistan-t.html?_r=1&pagewanted=print

Around midnight, 1st Platoon filed into the KOP, eyes bulging, drenched in sweat, river water and blood. They were hauling the belongings of Mohammad Tali, a high-value target. Specialist Sal Giunta had killed him.

The next day I climbed up to the KOP and found Specialist Giunta, a quiet Iowan lofted into a heroism he didn’t want. His officers were putting him up for a medal of honor. Giunta told me the story of that night, how they’d barely moved 300 yards before they were blasted. Giunta was fourth in the file when it happened, and he jumped into a ditch. He couldn’t figure out why they were getting hit from where Joshua Brennan and baby-faced Franklin Eckrode should have been leading up ahead. He knew it must be bad, but as he leapt up to check he got whacked with a bullet in his armored chest plate. It threw him down. They were taking fire from three sides. He grabbed some grenades: “I couldn’t throw as far as Sergeant Gallardo. We were looking like retards and I decided to run out in front of the grenades.” He found Eckrode with gunshot wounds. “He was down but moving and trying to fix his SAW” — a heavy machine gun — “so I just kept on running up the trail. It was cloudy. I was running and saw dudes. Plural.”

He couldn’t figure out who they were. Then he realized they were hauling Brennan off through the forest. “I started shooting,” he recalled. “I emptied that magazine. They dropped Brennan.” Giunta scrambled up to Brennan. He was a mess. His lower jaw was shot off. “He was still conscious. He was breathing. He was asking for morphine. I said, ‘You’ll get out and tell your hero stories,’ and he was like, ‘I will, I will.’ ”

They were still taking fire. No one was there to help. Hugo Mendoza, their platoon medic, was back in another ditch, calling: “I’m bleeding out. I’m dying.” Giunta saw Brennan’s eyes go back. His breathing was bad. Giunta got Brennan to squeeze his hand. A medic showed up out of the sky. They prepared Brennan to be hoisted to the medevac in a basket. Soon he would be dead.

As the medevacs flew out, Sergeant Sandifer had talked in air cover: Slasher, the AC-130. The pilot was a woman and, Sandifer later told me, “It was so reassuring for us to hear her voice.” She spotted guys hiding and asked if she was clear to engage. “ ‘You’re cleared hot,’ I told her. And we killed two people together.” But, at this point, the killings were no consolation to Sandifer.

As Giunta said, “The richest, most-trained army got beat by dudes in manjammies and A.K.’s.” His voice cracked. He was not just hurting, he was in a rage. And there was nothing for him to do with it but hold back his tears, and bark — at the Afghans for betraying them, at the Army for betraying them. He didn’t run to the front because he was a hero. He ran up to get to Brennan, his friend.

[slim 1,533]

What a great man.

I'm kind of surprised they're still awarding him with this since he said things like "we looked like retards" and “The richest, most-trained army got beat by dudes in manjammies and A.K.’s.”

Hard to argue with the truth though. And traditionally, MOH recipients get a little leeway when it comes to making statements. Their "street cred" is unquestionable, even for the Joint Chiefs and the man in the White House himself. The fact they're going through with it almost makes up for giving Jessica Lynch the Silver Star. Almost.

Way to go, Giunta! Next round's on me.

[Eveline 9]

My husband was stoked to read about that today. We just went to a ceremony for 1st Sgt. David McNerney this morning in Crosby, TX. He's one of the last few living MOH recipients. On the way back we talked that MOH aren't given out to people anymore that are alive. I'm glad to see that Staff Sgt Giunta gets one after all. Way to go.

[slim 1,533]

MOH aren't given out to people anymore that are alive. I'm glad to see that Staff Sgt Giunta gets one after all. Way to go.

There's so much risk and sacrifice involved for MOH recipients they seldom come out alive. Giunta nearly bought it too - he was hit in the chest and his plate armor saved his life. Without that, we wouldn't have read about this.

I'd also like to let the NY Times readership know the SAW is NOT a heavy machine gun. Nice try though. The writer did an awesome job. Joe Galloway would've been proud. I'm guessing it was the editors that made him add that "nugget" in there and it wasn't part of his original story.

[slim 1,533]

I just read through that entire link and both Giunta and Brennan were stop-lossed at the time of the firefight. Horrible. Absolutely horrible that we do that to our young men and women.

We owe them more.

[Nagishkaw 510]

We owe them more.

And then some.

[luckytxn 2,265]

There is not enough words that can praise these brave soldiers. May God bless and bring everyone back home as soon as possible.

I have met a few famous people in my life but the only time I have ever been awestruck is when I have met a MOH winner, Just seeing that medal makes me mute.

[justashooter 430]

the only time I have ever been awestruck is when I have met a MOH winner, Just seeing that medal makes me mute.

i watched a 3 star salute an enlisted MOH once. everybody else in the room, same.