A brief interview with him: http://afghanistan.blogs.cnn.com/2010/09/15/honor-is-bittersweet-for-first-living-medal-of-honor-winner-since-vietnam/?hpt=T2
Here’s an article from today’s LA Times that sheds some light on the topic.
There is more than some discussion among my fellow military that the higher ups were feeling a lot of pressure to award it to a deserving living recipient. I still can’t understand why Brian Chontosh got the NAvy Cross and not the Medal of Honor.
Keep in mind that, going by historical precedent, we can expect to see some MoHs awarded years after the fact.
I’m personally floored about First Sergent Brad Kasal. He was the subject of one of the iconic photos to come out of Fallujah.
Hell, yeah. That’s awesome. If I were President both Chontosh and Kasal would get their Medals of Honor on the double.
Now that is a hardcore dude. So awesome.
Another brief interview with Giunta, who’s determined to make it not about him: Awarded nation's highest honor, soldier says he felt 'lost,' 'angry' - CNN.com
May America ever strive to be worthy of such men, and such courage.
Regards,
Shodan
I suppose it’s impossible to compare and the press descriptions of the fire fights aren’t exactly filled with enough context and detail to really understand them comprehensively, but Kasal’s description seems somewhat more deserving than Giunta’s. Chontosh acted like a complete badass, but in some ways it seems like perhaps he was so aggressive and successful in his attack that perhaps there wasn’t enough peril relative to the standard.
It’s interesting to ponder what the standard is for these medals. How do you balance the bravery of an action, the peril, the importance of the mission, the wounds received and the men saved. Perhaps a big part of Giunta’s award is that he killed a high value target in the process of his heroic actions elevating him over the others. Perhaps the others’ peril was more self-inflicted than Guinta’s. Perhaps it was the individualism of his story opposed to the team efforts of the others.
Hats off to all of them in any case.
Perhaps Congress should get off its duff and nominate and approve some?
Staff Sgt. Giunta was honored today at the White House by a grateful Republic: Medal of Honor goes to first living recipient from Afghan war - CNN.com
BTW, I’m surprised no one has mentioned it yet, but Staff Sgt. Giunta’s story is told in the Sebastian Junger book “War,” and also featured in the accompanying documentary film “Restrepo.”
Well done, sir!
Another living Medal of Honor winner to soon be recognized at the White House: Army Ranger receives Medal of Honor for Afghanistan heroics - CNN.com?
Another news article about SFC Petry but with a glaring error.
What error? I didn’t see it.
Now a living former Marine is to get the Medal of Honor: http://www.cnn.com/2011/POLITICS/08/12/obama.medal.of.honor/index.html
Well done, Cpl. Meyer: Marine receives Medal of Honor at White House - CNN.com
+1
I found this part emotionally devastating:
I hope Sergeant Meyer has a good support system of friends and family. He sounds wracked by survivors guilt, which pays no heed to accomplishments or honors.