By KRISTINA WONG
Nov. 16, 2010
Today 25-year-old Staff Sgt. Salvatore Giunta of Iowa becomes the first living Medal of Honor recipient for valor in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Giunta will receive the nation's highest medal for his heroic actions on the battlefield in Afghanistan Oct. 25, 2007, which helped save one soldier's life and the body of another from falling into enemy hands. President Obama will bestow the medal in a ceremony at the White House.
While extremely honored to join the ranks of other living recipients, Giunta has insisted his were not the most important actions that day, and that he, like the other men of the Company B, 2nd Battalion (Airborne), 503d Infantry Regiment was just doing his job. He has also called Oct. 25, 2007, the saddest day of his life.
According to the official narrative, Giunta's platoon was heading back to its outpost in the Korengal Valley -- dubbed "the Valley of Death." While providing watch for two platoons, his platoon was ambushed by 10 to 15 enemy personnel who used an "L" shaped, close-range ambush 10 meters away, firing 10 rocket propelled grenades, three machine guns and additional AK-47s from throughout the ambush line.
The enemy immediately hit and wounded two members of the lead team, Staff Sgt. Joshua Brennan and Spc. Frank Eckrode. While then-Staff Sgt. Erick Gallardo moved back to his Bravo Team to get situation reports, Giunta provided covering fire, and led his team in suppressing enemy positions, assigning sectors of fire and commanding his M-203 gunner to engage close targets. While advancing toward the team, Gallardo was struck in the helmet by an AK-47 round, which caused him to fall to the ground. Despite being under heavy fire by PKM, RPG, and small arms, Giunta immediately left his covered position and pulled his squad leader to safety. Giunta was struck twice by bullets -- one stopped by his protective body armor; the other hit a weapon he carried across his back.
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