President Barack Obama Awards Medal Of Honor To Salvatore Giunta

November 17th, 2010 - 8:07 pm ICT by GD  

By Meena Kar
presidentNov 17, (THAINDIAN NEWS) Salvatore Giunta became the first living recipient of the Medal of Honor on Tuesday. The US Army staff sergeant from Iowa was honored by President Barack Obama in the ceremony at the White House. The President himself noted that the 25 year old soldier was the only recipient of the award to have survived the actions during the war.

President Barack Obama said that soldiers like Salvatore Giunta make Americans feel proud and represent everything that America stood for. He also added that his actions embodied the war ethos that one should never leave behind his comrade. He said that the medal was not only a testament to his uncommon valor but also the values of the parents and the community that raised him.

Salvatore Giunta and his fellow soldiers were walking back to their base in Afghanistan in October 2007 when Taliban fighters attacked them from the front and left. The attackers were armed with AK-47s, machine guns and rocket propelled grenades and several of the US soldiers went down to the sudden attack quickly. Salvatore Giunta ran forward and attacked the Taliban fighters with guns shots and grenades. He then tried to help a soldier who was wounded in the exchange. After realizing that the wounded soldier was missing from the scene, Salvatore Giunta saw two Taliban fighters dragging his body away. He ran after them and then killed one. The other Taliban soldiers fled the scene and Salvatore Giunta was able to call for help Though the soldier died due to the wounds caused by the 6 bullets he received, Salvatore Giunta’s bravery ensured that he had a proper burial.

Related Stories

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Posted in World News |

Subscribe