The Medal of Honor

Prince William announced his engagement today to Kate Middleton.

Natalie Stovall and her band played a show to the smallest audience they have ever played to tonight in Marquette Michigan thanks to the opening of deer season.

But the most important thing to speak of today is that the Medal of Honor was given to the its first living recipient in over 40 years. I don't have a speech writing staff like the President does, nor have I met this man. But all I can say is that Staff Sgt. Salvatore A. Giunta is a man that deserves the utmost respect, appreciation, and admiration from us all.



In 2007, at only 22 years old, he and his platoon found themselves in the Korengal Valley -- the most dangerous valley in northeast Afghanistan. They came under an ambush in the middle of the night..

"And the two lead men were hit by enemy fire and knocked down instantly. When the third was struck in the helmet and fell to the ground, Sal charged headlong into the wall of bullets to pull him to safety behind what little cover there was. As he did, Sal was hit twice -- one round slamming into his body armor, the other shattering a weapon slung across his back.

They were pinned down, and two wounded Americans still lay up ahead. So Sal and his comrades regrouped and counterattacked. They threw grenades, using the explosions as cover to run forward, shooting at the muzzle flashes still erupting from the trees. Then they did it again. And again. Throwing grenades, charging ahead. Finally, they reached one of their men. He’d been shot twice in the leg, but he had kept returning fire until his gun jammed.

As another soldier tended to his wounds, Sal sprinted ahead, at every step meeting relentless enemy fire with his own. He crested a hill alone, with no cover but the dust kicked up by the storm of bullets still biting into the ground. There, he saw a chilling sight: the silhouettes of two insurgents carrying the other wounded American away -- who happened to be one of Sal’s best friends. Sal never broke stride. He leapt forward. He took aim. He killed one of the insurgents and wounded the other, who ran off.

Sal found his friend alive, but badly wounded. Sal had saved him from the enemy -- now he had to try to save his life. Even as bullets impacted all around him, Sal grabbed his friend by the vest and dragged him to cover. For nearly half an hour, Sal worked to stop the bleeding and help his friend breathe until the MEDEVAC arrived to lift the wounded from the ridge. American gunships worked to clear the enemy from the hills. And with the battle over, First Platoon picked up their gear and resumed their march through the valley. They continued their mission.

It had been as intense and violent a firefight as any soldier will experience. By the time it was finished, every member of First Platoon had shrapnel or a bullet hole in their gear. Five were wounded. And two gave their lives: Sal’s friend, Sergeant Joshua C. Brennan, and the platoon medic, Specialist Hugo V. Mendoza."

As I was reading this story - my eyes filled with tears and I kept having the resounding thought in my head - so loud it seemed like I was saying it aloud, "I AM SO PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN."

And I just needed to share. I hope you were impacted as much as I by this story.

"This medal today is a testament to his uncommon valor, but also to the parents and the community that raised him; the military that trained him; and all the men and women who served by his side.

All of them deserve our enduring thanks and gratitude. They represent a small fraction of the American population, but they and the families who await their safe return carry far more than their fair share of our burden. They fight halfway around the globe, but they do it in hopes that our children and our grandchildren won’t have to."

To read President Obama's remarks awarding the Medal of Honor to Staff Sgt. Salvatore A. Giunta and the official citation, as provided by the White House (which I have quoted excerpts from) click here.

Peace. Love. Fiddle.
~natalie