Medal of Honor Presented posthumously to Jared C. Monti, SSGt, USA

Flopping Aces ^ | 09-20-09 | Rodney G. Graves

[Starman417]

Attention to Orders:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty: Staff Sergeant Jared C. Monti distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a team leader with Headquarters and Headquarters troop, 3rd Squadron, 71st Calvary Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, in connection with combat operations against an enemy in Nuristan Province, Afghanistan, on June 21st, 2006. While Staff Sergeant Monti was leading a mission aimed at gathering intelligence and directing fire against the enemy, his 16-man patrol was attacked by as many as 50 enemy fighters. On the verge of being overrun, Staff Sergeant Monti quickly directed his men to set up a defensive position behind a rock formation. He then called for indirect fire support, accurately targeting the rounds upon the enemy who had closed to within 50 meters of his position. While still directing fire, Staff Sergeant Monti personally engaged the enemy with his rifle and a grenade, successfully disrupting an attempt to flank his patrol. Staff Sergeant Monti then realized that one on his soldier was lying wounding in the open ground between the advancing enemy and the patrol's position. With complete disregard for his own safety, Staff Sergeant Monti twice attempted to move from behind the cover of the rocks into the face of relentless enemy fire to rescue his fallen comrade. Determined not to leave his soldier, Staff Sergeant Monti made a third attempt to cross open terrain through intense enemy fire.

[Ev Reeman]

Sgt. Monti was the kind of brave American soldier all soldiers can take pride in, can emulate and use as a model and an example of true American spirit, courage and determination.

[dalebert]

pray for heroes

[apocalypto]

Yes!

[Mogollon]

2.John 15:13
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

As much as he deserved the MoH, continuing to snub living veterans to only honor the dead is doing a disservice to this nation. The Medal of Honor is too important to be a “posthumous only” decoration.

Let the numbers speak for themselves. Since December 7, 1941, there have been 851 Medals of Honor presented. Of these, 523 were presented posthumously. 233 recipients who were presented the MoH while alive have since died.

Today there are only 95 living Medal of Honor recipients. That is fewer than one recipient for every 3,000,000 Americans.

Of these, 21 were presented in World War II, and 14 in the Korean War. Fifty-six or more years ago!

The remaining 60 were presented to Vietnam Veterans, 34 or more years ago.

And not a single Medal of Honor has been presented to a living veteran since.

The mistake is in assuming that the Medal of Honor is presented to a single person, for a single act of heroism. In fact, the MoH means much, much more. It honors the recipients family for imparting to him the strength of character, his community as its outstanding favored son, his individual State and his nation as a whole.

No matter what they did, for the rest of their lives they are tasked with bearing the weight of honor. Their service lasts for the rest of their lives, and the importance of their citation precedes any other honor bestowed on them.

There is no military regulation that requires all other personnel, no matter their rank, to salute a Medal of Honor recipient first. But they all will, from private to Commander of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, they will all salute first.

Children can no longer meet a living recipient of a Medal of Honor, when they are all gone. Only with pure luck can they meet one today, because they are such a rarity. The people of the United States need such real heroes.

For when they look on them, they will know that “This is what heroism looks like.”

[Shamrock-DW]

Yes....but military politics come in to play.....