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November 16, 2010 in Nation/World
Iowa soldier given Medal of Honor for heroism
Giunta first living recipient of Iraq, Afghanistan wars
President Barack Obama presents the Medal of Honor to Staff Sgt. Salvatore Giunta, who rescued two members of his squad in October 2007 while fighting in the war in Afghanistan, Tuesday, Nov. 16, 2010, at the White House in Washington.
(Full-size photo)
WASHINGTON — The nation today saluted its first living Medal of Honor winner of the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, an Iowa sergeant who retrieved a wounded comrade under gunfire as the Taliban carried the stricken soldier away.
For Army Staff Sgt. Salvatore Giunta, the tribute to his heroism was bittersweet, because it was a bloody day in Afghanistan’s Korengal Valley and the soldier he brought back later died.
“I would give this back in a second to have my friends with me right now,” he said on the rain-soaked White House driveway after President Barack Obama hung the blue ribbon that cradled the medal around Giunta’s neck.
Far from the perilous ridge where his unit was attacked on a moonlit night in October 2007, Giunta stood in the glittering East Room, in the company of military brass, past Medal of Honor winners, his surviving comrades and families as the president described the harrowing attack and the sergeant’s actions beyond the call of duty.
Giunta “charged headlong into the wall of bullets,” Obama said. The sergeant at first pulled a soldier with a leg wound back to safety, then sprinted ahead to find two Taliban fighters carrying his seriously wounded friend, Sgt. Joshua C. Brennan, away.
“Sal never broke stride,” Obama said. “He leapt forward. He took aim. He killed one of the insurgents and wounded the other, who ran off.”
As bullets rained, Giunta dragged Brennan by his vest to cover and worked feverishly to stop the bleeding until the wounded Americans were flown from the ridge. Brennan and another platoon member, medic Hugo V. Mendoza, died. Five were wounded.
“It had been as intense and violent a fire fight as any soldier will experience,” Obama said.
The standards for achieving the nation’s highest military honor are so high that many recipients are only so honored in death. Giunta was struck twice, one bullet hitting his body armor, the other hitting one of his weapons.
“I’m going to go off script here and just say, ’I really like this guy,” Obama said. He had first met the soft-spoken 25-year-old in the Oval Office earlier.
“We all just get a sense of people and who they are,” the president said. “And when you meet Sal and you meet his family, you are just absolutely convinced that this is what America is all about, and it just makes you proud.”
Forty-two Americans died in Afghanistan’s Korengal Valley, a deadly sliver of Afghan real estate that insurgents use to move weapons and fighters from Pakistan.
U.S. troops pulled out of the perilous valley and other remote areas about seven months ago when commanders decided it was best to use forces to protect civilian population centers. That strategy was judged smarter than keeping troops in scattered isolated outposts highly exposed to attacks from Taliban, al-Qaida and other foreign fighters.
The area’s rugged terrain, caves and trees provided cover for insurgents wanting to attack small American units patrolling the valley. But despite years of clashes and airstrikes, U.S. and Afghan forces failed to subdue the Korengal Valley — one of the most staunchly anti-American regions in Afghanistan.
In June 2005, three Navy SEALs were killed when their four-man team was ambushed by militants. A helicopter sent to rescue the SEALs was shot down with a rocket-propelled grenade. Sixteen American troops aboard were killed in what is one of the deadliest single attacks on the U.S. military since the war began.
No U.S. forces remain in the Korengal Valley itself.
© Copyright 2010 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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hawken on November 16 at 3:27 p.m.
I watched the complete ceremony, live on Fox News, including the complete reading of the citation.
What an incredible act of courage!
You can see the complete ceremony here…. once you get past the brief commercial that leads the video.
http://video.foxnews.com/v/4418600/uss-jason-dunham-commissioning#/v/4421375/afghan-war-heros-uncommon-valor/?playlist_id=87485
Shylock13 on November 16 at 3:43 p.m.
Thank you, hawken, for the web site. I agree it was “an incredible act of courage”. Whatever one’s political beliefs or view of the wars, all must stand and applaud this gallant Army Sergeant!
MrDavis on November 16 at 3:51 p.m.
Obama should be required to wear gloves when he touches a MOH.
Thoreau on November 16 at 4:04 p.m.
MrDavis: This is about a staff sergeant in the military. Don’t foul this moment by throwing politics into it. Have some respect.
Thayne on November 16 at 4:42 p.m.
mrdavis - as an honorably retired Marine I find your bigoted comment disgusting. President Obama is dealing with two unnecessary wars started by one of the worst presidents ever. He has also had to deal with all of the other crap Bush and his cronies passed on. This Army Sergeant is a stellar individual, all Iowans and Americans should appreciate the sacrifices he and others in the military are making. You mrdavis need to crawl back under the bridge you live under.
Albert on November 16 at 5:01 p.m.
@Thayne I agree Sir! I’m a former SEAL from RVN era and I agree what you said and appreciate what Mr. Bear & Hawken stated as well. I’m PROUD of this American Hero!!! Blessings to him.
hawken on November 16 at 5:45 p.m.
Thayne.. you dishonor “semper fi” … “Always Faithful”…with your political rant and are no better than Mr. Davis…. in what you do.
Let me refer you to:
Thoreau on November 16 at 4:04 p.m.
MrDavis: This is about a staff sergeant in the military. Don’t foul this moment by throwing politics into it. Have some respect.
This might be the first time I have ever agreed with Thoreau…. but he is absolutely correct.
misjustice on November 16 at 6:30 p.m.
Thayne is MORE than entitled to his opinion, just as others on this thread are. My gawd, sqawken, you lob attacks at everyone and anyone you wish, day in and day out.
Just because Thayne called someone on their post does not mean that he dishonors the Marine Corps. Maybe after YOU have given equal the number of years that Thayne has, to the defense of this nation, then you can talk trash; Naw, even then you’d still be wrong.
As to the young soldier in the story, he was on 60 Minutes last Sunday night and the story told by him and other platoon members brought me to tears.
hawken on November 16 at 6:35 p.m.
Yea Misjudgment…. and I have mine…. bite me!
Thayne is nothing more than a than a political hack (like you), who sucked at the public teat in the US Marine Corps long enough to get a retirement for the rest of your life! Even if he did do something vaguely noteworthy, during his time in the Marine Corps, he just shot it all to hell.
He is the prefect example as to why I do not, and have never believed, that serving in the armed forces is automatically synonymous with due respect.
He shows himself to be unworthy, to even comment on the heroism of Army Staff Sgt. Salvatore Giunta.
What really pisses me off, is that his lead is gross hypocrisy and egomania…. apparently intended to add some some kind of counterfeit credibility to his political rant… when the rest of us, many of whom, have irreconcilable political views, all agree, that politics has no place in this string.
Then you say to….. “mrdavis - as an honorably retired Marine I find your bigoted comment disgusting.”
When Thoreau had already reproved mr davis some 40 minutes earlier.
hawken on November 16 at 6:50 p.m.
Hey…. Misjudgment…. you now need to defend Mr. Davis as well,,,, if you are going to be consistent.
I will not do that.
But, if you had an ounce of consistency in your idiotic, politically mad, mindset….. you would.
hawken on November 16 at 7:25 p.m.
There is nothing that inflames my ire more, than when political hacks try to justify their political views on the back of our true, American hero’s!
For this, expect no apology from me.
I think I need a couple of shots of Crown Royal.
hawken on November 16 at 8:41 p.m.
So where’s Thayne and Misjudgment?
You think they haven’t read my above posts by now? Right!
Their silence is nothing more than liberal left surrender.
Surrender, is NOT acceptable to our true, military heroes whom put their life on the line for us!
Fact is that, Thayne and Misjudgment, are bankrupt in their liberal left, political rant, logical fallacy and inconsistent, superficial, counterfeit, patriotism…. used only to support their politically flawed world view on the back of our true, American heroes! Again, as demonstrated in this string.
They demonstrably, have little respect for true American heroes, other than in word only, only to use them to promote their flawed, liberal left ideology.
Such cowards are speechless and have no intelligent response. As demonstrated by their silence!
Shame on you!!
Thank God!!
The American people and our American military, on the whole, understand true patriotism,,, and true sacrifice!
I believe in the military doctrine of Colin Powell’s: Overwhelming Force!
Your anticipated retort of…. “my opinion” doesn’t work here.
Thayne on November 17 at 5:54 a.m.
No squawken I didn’t surrender I was just doing more important things than responding to your very verbose, very moronic and very boring blather. My toenails needed trimming and I had to clean the cat box (I’d give you what I got out of it but you are already very full of your own). Why is it that you are the only one who is allowed to call other bloggers out? It’s sad to see that other posters, who frequently posted, are gone. I think it’s probably due to your continuous streams of prattle. Soon it’s only going to be you on these posts - enjoy.
misjustice on November 17 at 6:37 a.m.
@ Thayne; looks like his SGTA is acting up again (no pun intended); he gets his thrills from argument, even if he has to argue with himself.
; )