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It only seems fitting that we pause this anniversary of 9/11 and recognize the bravery of two men who have fought to prevent it from happening again. Too bad there has been so little publicity to honor them.
The White House announced two Soldiers would be awarded the Medal of Honor. SSG Salvatore Giunta is the first OIF/OEF vet to live to receive it, although he is the 8th recipient since 2001.
"Sgt. Giunta's action came on his second deployment to Afghanistan, when his unit—Co. B, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment (Airborne)—was operating in the Korengal Valley, at the time considered the most dangerous spot in the country for U.S. troops.
On the night of Oct. 25, Sgt. Joshua Brennan led Sgt. Giunta's squad single-file along the top of a rocky spur, according to Sebastian Junger's 2010 book "War." Sgt. Giunta, then holding the rank of specialist, was fourth in line when the patrol walked into an ambush, with 13 insurgents spraying them with rifle, machine-gun and rocket-propelled grenade fire from as close as 15 to 20 feet.
"Out of nothing—out of taking your next step—just rows of tracers, RPGs, everything happening out of nowhere with no real idea of how it just f— happened," Sgt. Giunta told Mr. Junger.
Sgt. Brennan was hit eight times. Sgt. Giunta, who had a Purple Heart from his first combat tour, was hit in the ceramic chest plate of his body armor. A rocket strapped to his back absorbed a second hit, according to the Army.
Under fire, Sgt. Giunta first helped a staff sergeant who had been hit in the helmet. He and two other soldiers threw hand grenades to clear a path to two other men isolated ahead of them.
After tossing his final grenade, Sgt. Giunta ran toward where he thought he would find Sgt. Brennan. Instead, he saw two insurgents dragging the sergeant away. Sgt. Giunta emptied his rifle at them, and then chased them down the hill.
His shots killed one insurgent. Wounded, the other fighter released Sgt. Brennan and fled. Sgt. Giunta called for a medic and pulled his friend to cover.
"I didn't run through fire to save a buddy—I ran through fire to see what was going on with him and maybe we could hide behind the same rock and shoot together," Sgt. Giunta said in the book. "I didn't run through fire to do anything heroic or brave; I did what I believe anyone would have done."
Airstrikes ended the firefight. Sgt. Brennan, 22, from McFarland, Wisc., died in surgery at a nearby base. A medic, Spc. Hugh Mendoza, 29, of Glendale, Ariz., died after being shot through the femur. Five other paratroopers survived their wounds."
The posthumous recipient is Army SSG Robert Miller.
"President Obama will award the Medal of Honor to U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Robert J. Miller for "conspicuous gallantry" and "heroic actions" in Afghanistan in January 2008, the White House announced Thursday.
Miller will receive the rare honor posthumously for displaying "immeasurable courage and uncommon valor -- eventually sacrificing his own life to save the lives of his teammates and 15 Afghanistan National Army soldiers," according to a White House statement.
Miller's mother and father will join the Obama at the White House on October 6 "to commemorate their son's selfless service and sacrifice," the White House said.
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Miller -- born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, in 1983 -- enlisted in the Army in August 2003 as a Special Forces candidate. He became a Green Beret in 2005 and was based at Fort Bragg in North Carolina."
The White House announced two Soldiers would be awarded the Medal of Honor. SSG Salvatore Giunta is the first OIF/OEF vet to live to receive it, although he is the 8th recipient since 2001.
"Sgt. Giunta's action came on his second deployment to Afghanistan, when his unit—Co. B, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment (Airborne)—was operating in the Korengal Valley, at the time considered the most dangerous spot in the country for U.S. troops.
On the night of Oct. 25, Sgt. Joshua Brennan led Sgt. Giunta's squad single-file along the top of a rocky spur, according to Sebastian Junger's 2010 book "War." Sgt. Giunta, then holding the rank of specialist, was fourth in line when the patrol walked into an ambush, with 13 insurgents spraying them with rifle, machine-gun and rocket-propelled grenade fire from as close as 15 to 20 feet.
"Out of nothing—out of taking your next step—just rows of tracers, RPGs, everything happening out of nowhere with no real idea of how it just f— happened," Sgt. Giunta told Mr. Junger.
Sgt. Brennan was hit eight times. Sgt. Giunta, who had a Purple Heart from his first combat tour, was hit in the ceramic chest plate of his body armor. A rocket strapped to his back absorbed a second hit, according to the Army.
Under fire, Sgt. Giunta first helped a staff sergeant who had been hit in the helmet. He and two other soldiers threw hand grenades to clear a path to two other men isolated ahead of them.
After tossing his final grenade, Sgt. Giunta ran toward where he thought he would find Sgt. Brennan. Instead, he saw two insurgents dragging the sergeant away. Sgt. Giunta emptied his rifle at them, and then chased them down the hill.
His shots killed one insurgent. Wounded, the other fighter released Sgt. Brennan and fled. Sgt. Giunta called for a medic and pulled his friend to cover.
"I didn't run through fire to save a buddy—I ran through fire to see what was going on with him and maybe we could hide behind the same rock and shoot together," Sgt. Giunta said in the book. "I didn't run through fire to do anything heroic or brave; I did what I believe anyone would have done."
Airstrikes ended the firefight. Sgt. Brennan, 22, from McFarland, Wisc., died in surgery at a nearby base. A medic, Spc. Hugh Mendoza, 29, of Glendale, Ariz., died after being shot through the femur. Five other paratroopers survived their wounds."
The posthumous recipient is Army SSG Robert Miller.
"President Obama will award the Medal of Honor to U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Robert J. Miller for "conspicuous gallantry" and "heroic actions" in Afghanistan in January 2008, the White House announced Thursday.
Miller will receive the rare honor posthumously for displaying "immeasurable courage and uncommon valor -- eventually sacrificing his own life to save the lives of his teammates and 15 Afghanistan National Army soldiers," according to a White House statement.
Miller's mother and father will join the Obama at the White House on October 6 "to commemorate their son's selfless service and sacrifice," the White House said.
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Miller -- born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, in 1983 -- enlisted in the Army in August 2003 as a Special Forces candidate. He became a Green Beret in 2005 and was based at Fort Bragg in North Carolina."
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