Posted on 11/17/2010 10:16:44 AM PST by stolinsky
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty:
Specialist Salvatore A. Giunta distinguished himself conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty in action with an armed enemy in the Korengal Valley, Afghanistan, on October 25, 2007. While conducting a patrol as team leader with Company B, 2d Battalion (Airborne), 503d Infantry Regiment, Specialist Giunta and his team were navigating through harsh terrain when they were ambushed by a well-armed and well-coordinated insurgent force. While under heavy enemy fire, Specialist Giunta immediately sprinted towards cover and engaged the enemy. Seeing that his squad leader had fallen and believing that he had been injured, Specialist Giunta exposed himself to withering enemy fire and raced towards his squad leader, helped him to cover, and administered medical aid. While administering first aid, enemy fire struck Specialist Giunta’s body armor and his secondary weapon. Without regard to the ongoing fire, Specialist Giunta engaged the enemy before prepping and throwing grenades, using the explosions for cover in order to conceal his position. Attempting to reach additional wounded fellow soldiers who were separated from the squad, Specialist Giunta and his team encountered a barrage of enemy fire that forced them to the ground. The team continued forward and upon reaching the wounded soldiers, Specialist Giunta realized that another soldier was still separated from the element. Specialist Giunta then advanced forward on his own initiative. As he crested the top of a hill, he observed two insurgents carrying away an American soldier. He immediately engaged the enemy, killing one and wounding the other. Upon reaching the wounded soldier, he began to provide medical aid, as his squad caught up and provided security. Specialist Giunta’s unwavering courage, selflessness, and decisive leadership while under extreme enemy fire were integral to his platoon’s ability to defeat an enemy ambush and recover a fellow American soldier from the enemy. Specialist Salvatore A. Giunta’s extraordinary heroism and selflessness above and beyond the call of duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, Company B, 2d Battalion (Airborne), 503d Infantry Regiment, and the United States Army.
Staff Sergeant Salvatore A. Giunta received his Medal of Honor from President Obama at the White House. He is the seventh recipient of our highest military decoration for the current war in Afghanistan and Iraq, but only the first who is still living.
Typically, S/SGT Giunta remarked, “Although this is so positive, I would give this back in a second to have my friends with me right now.”
If I had the honor of meeting him, I would say, “May you live many years, have a happy and productive life, and die in bed surrounded by your grandchildren. And then, may you meet your buddies again.” ________________________________________
Too bad he had to get it from such a miserable anti-American illegal alien. What a shame! But he’s a bigger man than the wimp who gave him the award.
GOD Bless him and GOD Bless The United States of America!!
Obama did not “give” him the award. The people of the United States represented by Congress awarded it to him. Obama had nothing to do with it. He was just a piece of animated furniture for that ceremony as far as I’m concerned.
Obama looked real uncomfortable with the whole deal FUBO
So is every other POTUS in that case when it comes to presenting this honor on one of our brave warriors.
“Obama did not “give” him the award. The people of the United States represented by Congress awarded it to him.”
I know . . . I was venting . . . just too bad that this hero had to share the stage with such a low-life muslim.
With that sentiment I agree 100%!
This post is not where my mind usually runs and indicates an excess of skepticism, if not paranoia. I noticed on Tuesday when Staff Sgt. Salvatore A. Giunta received the Medal of Honor from President Obama, he became the first living Medal of Honor winner of the Afghanistan and Iraq wars.
Bush father and son oversaw wars in Afghanistan and Iraq for over three times as long as Obama, and with many more troops more intensely involved, but no one who survived an act of heroism ever measured up to the high standards of the Medal of Honor. There were many awards of the Distinguished Service Cross and the Navy Cross, but never the Medal of Honor.
This statistical anomaly excites my paranoia enough to ask the following questions. Has the Medal of Honor again become a political award as was the case in the first months of WW II (Colin Kelly, John Bulkeley, etal), and shamefully at Wounded Knee where twenty three soldiers of the 7th Cavalry received the decoration? During the Bush years were some of our troops cheated of the award to avoid media and Democrat accusations that heroism was being improperly embellished just to enhance political popularity? (In the case of Staff Sgt. Giunta, there was over one year under W’s administration to decide in favor of the award.) Was a worthy recognition withheld by the Bush administrations, granted by the Obama administration just because Obama had the opportunity for a precious photo op where he could pretend to be a Commander in Chief with a person of color?
These are not nice thoughts and I certainly understand anyone who would consider them irrational.
“Was a worthy recognition withheld by the Bush administrations, granted by the Obama administration just because Obama had the opportunity for a precious photo op where he could pretend to be a Commander in Chief with a person of color?”
I don’t understand this sentence. Giunta is a white man of Italian descent.
This is the “Congressional” Medal of Honor, not the “Presidential” Medal of Honor. As someone posted above, Obama did not award this, he was just there for the photo op.
The only indications I could see was his picture and name, so your help on this issue allows me to understand my skepticism was probably getting out of hand. Thank you.
Excluding minority approval, the rest of the point might be valid, but it does bother me to think that way. The country has gone there before politically and I wish it would never go there again.
I know that criteria for awarding the MOH have changed over history: they were given freely during the Civil War, less freely during WWI and II, but still given to living heroes during Viet Nam.
Since Gulf War I, the criteria became quite strict, and it seemed (to me) almost ridiculously restrictive: I have heard it commented by vets that efforts which merited a Navy Cross in the Gulf War would have resulted in the MOH in WW II.
I don’t know if this is true or not, but I believe that we might be seeing a “course correction” of the almost impossibly strict recent standards.
I am not sure we should be critical of the Pretender-in-Chief in this case.
What you say certainly makes sense. I think WW II should be the standard, because our involvement there statistically speaking gave as comprehensive a base as we will ever see. Also “The Greatest Generation” and their parents earned credibility on this issue no subsequent generation possesses.
“What you say certainly makes sense. I think WW II should be the standard, because our involvement there statistically speaking gave as comprehensive a base as we will ever see. Also “The Greatest Generation” and their parents earned credibility on this issue no subsequent generation possesses.”
I would take issue, in a way, with the implication that our current generation (you and I included) are lacking when compared to The Greatest Generation.
For the population as a whole, yes.
However, as the father of a soldier and a Marine, and as one who has personally comforted the the families of 2 fallen Marines from our area, I hope you realize that, as far as our current military is concerned, we have never produced better patriots. Ever.
Gos Bless them all.
Best,
MFR
“What you say certainly makes sense. I think WW II should be the standard, because our involvement there statistically speaking gave as comprehensive a base as we will ever see. Also “The Greatest Generation” and their parents earned credibility on this issue no subsequent generation possesses.”
I would take issue, in a way, with the implication that our current generation (you and I included) are lacking when compared to The Greatest Generation.
For the population as a whole, yes.
However, as the father of a soldier and a Marine, and as one who has personally comforted the the families of 2 fallen Marines from our area, I hope you realize that, as far as our current military is concerned, we have never produced better patriots. Ever.
God Bless them all.
Best,
MFR
I whole heartedly agree. My son is a former Marine 0311. We, by marriage, have another former Marine in the family, who fought through the Battle of Fallujah with an EOD unit. I regularly sent letters to a Marine who led a sniper team in Ramadi for a year. So far I am 5 and 0 in praying for guys to return safely.
Since my dad took me out to play golf on Saturdays at young age, I met many WW II vets. On a weekend I would meet a former member of the Flying Tigers, a ranger who climbed Point de Hoch, an infantryman who was crippled from being shot up in Sicily, and many others. I also met the parents and siblings of those who served. To me these folks have a superior understanding of war and heroism, because they were inundated by the war and I am surrounded by 15 second sound bites and visuals presented by the clueless.
I have trouble believing those in DC who decide who gets the MOH have sufficient humility to question their perceptions about the criteria. I would look to those prior generations for a special understanding based on experiences I hope I never have.
Commission assured, and probably a star at least.
I'm sure they'll let him choose whatever career path he wants.
I made sure I was the top soldier at the Guard Duty Inspection so that I'd have the honor of spending time in the Battalion "museum" (otherwise known as Battalion Headquarters (this was during the period when they were stationed at Harvey Barracks, Kitzingen, West Germany.)
There was a huge display and you could see their pictures and read the awards.
No soldier for sure, nor any man nor woman of any background or nation could fail to understand heroism after reading that display and seeing these quite ordinary fellows who performed the deeds that drew the honor.
Staff Sgt. Salvatore A. Giunta meets the standard.
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