Posted on 06/10/2019 2:04:42 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
President Donald Trump will award the nation's highest military honor to former Army Staff Sgt. David G. Bellavia for actions in Iraq, the White House announced Monday.
Bellavia was leading a squad in support of Operation Phantom Fury in Fallujah on his 29th birthday in November 2004 when his platoon was pinned down by gunfire as he went from house to house. Bellavia engaged the insurgents, providing cover that allowed members of the platoon to exit safely. He later re-entered the house and killed at least four of the insurgents, who were firing rocket-propelled grenades.
"That remarkable day, then-Staff Sergeant Bellavia rescued an entire squad, cleared an insurgent strongpoint, and saved many members of his platoon from imminent threat," the White House announcement said.
(Excerpt) Read more at startribune.com ...
“He later re-entered the house and killed at least four of the insurgents, who were firing rocket-propelled grenades. “
Holy F. The dude deserves the Medal.
15 years later. The delays in awarding the MOH are far too unreasonable in the modern era. Also standards exclude many very justified awards.
I believe politicians and the military does not like having too many living recipients who might not be easy to control.
Hardcore.
Took the pentagon 15 years to evaluate that. 15 years.... let that sink in. In investigating officer could have had this as his project for 3/4 or a normal career.
I think you are right.
He has my respect for dang sure.
Staff Sergeant Bellavia rescued an entire squad
Let that sink in....
David Bellavia reacts live to announcement he will receive the Medal of Honor
15 years is a tad bit too long to wait.
Yale and Haerter got posthumous Navy Crosses for standing and firing at a suicide bomb truck in the famous Ramadi 6 seconds to live incident. They stood and fired as everyone else fled and dove for cover, and killed the driver before it detonated, vaporizing them.
They were all that stood between the bomb and 150 Iraqi police trainees.
Just one example. Underawarding turns it into a cult, and a political weapon. The military no longer likes to recognize heroism, toxic masculinity, or run the slightest risk of having too many living recipients running around out there.
Should have been on the spot MOH citations. That’s no less heroic than jumping on a grenade, knowing you are going to die but doing it anyway.
One them he literally beat to death with his bare hands and finished the guy off with A Gerber knife. I read his autobiography.
Out of the whole Iraq war. He is the first living recipient. Something is wrong with our system for recognizing this. You mean to tell me NOBODY else inn that war did anything deserving of this award and lived?
yes he does. There are still good, tough soldiers, however soon to be replaced by homos and dress wearing trannies.
Would love to see SgtMaj Kasal get the MOH he earned in Fallujah.
Holy sh*t. The dude is hard core.
There are few like this. I had a chance to meet the spouse of one other hero at Ft. Lewis, WA. He was MOH winner Ben Wilson.
On June 5, Wilson led a charge against the far superior force and was responsible for 27 enemy dead. The North Koreans launched a counter attack and Wilson single handedly killed seven North Koreans. Wilson ordered his platoon to withdraw, and even though he was severely wounded he stayed behind to cover the withdrawal of his men.
The wounded Wilson was being carried down the hill on a stretcher as the battle was coming to an end. About half way down the hill the fellows carrying the stretcher Wilson was on put him down to rest. Wilson, not being one to give in easily and clearly in pain, never the less got up from the stretcher and made his way back up the hill.
On June 6, just one day after the exploit that earned him the Medal of Honor, First Sergeant Wilson killed 33 more Chinese soldiers with his rifle, bayonet, and hand grenades in another one-man assault. In the process, he reopened the wounds he suffered the day before and was finally evacuated to a hospital. They wanted to nominate him for a second MOH, but weren’t allowed.
Military people are a different breed from other citizens. They do because it is needed no matter what the outcome.
rwood
TOTALLY awesome story. Thanks
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