Medal of Honor goes to first living recipient from Afghanistan war

This is a true National Hero! He risked his own life in order to save several of his fellow soldiers!

A 25-year-old Army staff sergeant from Iowa on Tuesday became the first living recipient of the Medal of Honor since three service members from the Vietnam War were honored in 1976. President Barack Obama awarded the nation's highest medal of valor to Staff Sgt. Salvatore Giunta -- the kind of soldier who leaves you "just absolutely convinced this is what America's all about," Obama said at the White House award ceremony. "It just makes you proud."

Giunta was a specialist serving with the 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment on his second tour of duty in Afghanistan when his unit was attacked on the night of October 25, 2007. According to Defense Department documents, Giunta and his fellow soldiers were walking back to base along the top of a mountain ridge when the enemy attacked from their front and their left. Taliban fighters barraged the Americans with AK-47s, rocket propelled grenades and Soviet-era large machine guns.

Giunta saw several of his fellow soldiers go down. He ran forward, throwing grenades and returning enemy fire, to help one soldier who had been shot but was still fighting, the documents say. Then he noticed one of the wounded soldiers was missing. Searching for his wounded friend Sgt. Josh Brennan, Giunta ran over a hill where moments before Taliban fighters had been shooting at him. Now he was alone, out of sight of his fellow soldiers, in an area that the Taliban had controlled just moments before. Giunta saw two Taliban fighters dragging Brennan away. He ran after them, killing one and wounding the other, who ran off. Giunta instantly started providing first aid to Brennan, who had been shot at least six times, the documents say. Eventually a medic arrived and a helicopter was called in to take Brennan to a hospital, but he later died of his wounds.

This is what being a soldier is all about: stepping up and being a leader when the situation calls for it. It is nice to read some good clean news as opposed to normal dirty and drama filled news that we hear every day. Although this was a bitter sweet celebration for Sgt. Salvatore Giunta, it is still a beautiful sight. Although Giunta lost a close friend and a fellow soldier that night, he did everything in his power to try to save his life.