I have no words...

[Scotty]

http://www.militarytimes.com/projects/medal-of-honor-ceremony-sal-giunta/

[Scotty]

Christ, I just realized, this man was in the same unit, in the same AO as my friend and fellow High School graduate who died on November 10th from an ambush, mere days after this encounter... I'm still trying to find out if he was there that day.

At first I had no words that would describe my pride in this man, and now I am in completely unspeakable and tear-suppressing shock.

http://militarytimes.com/valor/army-spc-joseph-m-lancour/3180797/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salvatore_Giunta

Notice the units they were assigned to in those articles.

[Mr Pwnage]

I watched the video on that first link....this is pretty remarkable. You can tell that he is humble to accept the award since he feels many others did the exact same thing...and the fact that he comes to this realization really just shows how mentally strong and good spirited he is. He deserves it.

[T-Rok]

I apologize if I am being rude about it, but as I am not American I do not comprehend exactly how this medal is that great let alone the actions the news article explains. Based from the news articles report, what he did is no different than any other man except for the fact he survived. If you could be so kind as to enlighten me I would gladly listen.

[Jake]

I apologize if I am being rude about it, but as I am not American I do not comprehend exactly how this medal is that great let alone the actions the news article explains. Based from the news articles report, what he did is no different than any other man except for the fact he survived. If you could be so kind as to enlighten me I would gladly listen.

The Medal of Honor is great because it's the highest honor that can be bestowed upon an American soldier. The last time somebody received one was during the Vietnam War, according to the article.

I too am a little confused as to why he is receiving this honor, considering he didn't really go above and beyond what many others would do in his position. Nevertheless, he was brave and selfless in his acts, and I'm glad that he is receiving the medal.

[Scotty]

Not just the highest military honor, the Medal of Honor is widely considered the highest honor any American regardless of occupation can have bestowed upon them.

The citation from the White House:

Then-Specialist Salvatore A. Giunta distinguished himself by acts of gallantry at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a rifle team leader with Company B, 2d Battalion (Airborne), 503d Infantry Regiment during combat operations against an armed enemy in the Korengal Valley, Afghanistan on October 25, 2007. When an insurgent force ambush split Specialist Giunta's squad into two groups, he exposed himself to enemy fire to pull a comrade back to cover. Later, while engaging the enemy and attempting to link up with the rest of his squad, Specialist Giunta noticed two insurgents carrying away a fellow soldier. He immediately engaged the enemy, killing one and wounding the other, and provided medical aid to his wounded comrade while the rest of his squad caught up and provided security. His courage and leadership while under extreme enemy fire were integral to his platoon's ability to defeat an enemy ambush and recover a fellow American paratrooper from enemy hands.

I'll admit that as of late, President Obama has awarded many MOH to people, all posthumously until now, and it makes me start to question the intent, as I've seen acts of bravery (that in my opinion are greater than this, not at all taking away from this man what he did) that did not result in a MOH.  For instance, this man gets a free case of beer on me should I ever have the honor of meeting him.  He received The Navy Cross, which is also a VERY high honor, in fact some consider it "one down" from the MOH in the naval department, but regardless, if there was a man that deserved the MOH in Operation Iraqi Freedom, this man is it:

For extraordinary heroism while serving as First Sergeant, Weapons Company, 3d Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 1, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Central Command in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM on 13 November 2004. First Sergeant Kasal was assisting 1st Section, Combined Anti-Armor Platoon as they provided a traveling over watch for 3d Platoon when he heard a large volume of fire erupt to his immediate front, shortly followed by Marines rapidly exiting a structure. When First Sergeant Kasal learned that Marines were pinned down inside the house by an unknown number of enemy personnel, he joined a squad making entry to clear the structure and rescue the Marines inside. He made entry into the first room, immediately encountering and eliminating an enemy insurgent, as he spotted a wounded Marine in the next room. While moving towards the wounded Marine, First Sergeant Kasal and another Marine came under heavy rifle fire from an elevated enemy firing position and were both severely wounded in the legs, immobilizing them. When insurgents threw grenades in an attempt to eliminate the wounded Marines, he rolled on top of his fellow Marine and absorbed the shrapnel with his own body. When First Sergeant Kasal was offered medical attention and extraction, he refused until the other Marines were given medical attention. Although severely wounded himself, he shouted encouragement to his fellow Marines as they continued to clear the structure. By his bold leadership, wise judgment, and complete dedication to duty, First Sergeant Kasal reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service.

I'll never forget the first time I saw his picture as his Marines were carrying him out of the room after he took the grenade blast:



Honestly, my take on all of this?  We're so desensitized towards this sort of stuff.  Everything from hearing it over and over in the news day in and day out for years, to crunching away hours playing Medal Of Honor, we're losing touch with the saying "War is Hell".  It takes a special kind of man to get up and pursue two insurgents who are carrying off one of your men while still getting shot at.  I'd venture to guess that there are very few if not none in this community who, when the time came, would immediately without hesitation do the same.

[T-Rok]

That second guy deserves it. He gains great respect in my eyes for his actions. I know I could never throw myself to save a comrade from a grenade. Everything up until the blocking of a grenade was plausible. Great respect indeed.

[Jackabomb]

I think scotty's right about our desensitization to heroism. Movies, games, and the like have portrayed every common soldier as brave as First Sergeant Kasal and not receiving an award. The result: The american people are no longer impressed by anything short of winning the war by yourself. As dangerous and stupid as this sounds: I sometimes wish something truly dangerous would happen around here. I want to know how I'd truly react in a real crisis. But alas, in my life, bravery only means not panicking at the sight of blood.