Sgt. Sal Giunta

I had just returned to Afghanistan for my second tour of duty where I would be serving in the 503rd Infantry Regiment leading a rifle team. Having just recovered from being wounded in battle, I was ready to get back into the action for my second six months in Afghanistan. I had been assigned a mission with eight great soldiers, some of whom I knew extremely well. The nine of us had been given a mission that we were starting on October 25, 2007.

We had a tough mission that day to bomb a government building near the Korengal Valley. We had set out early that morning and the mission went well, but it was hard work and the men and I were ready to get back to camp. That is when it all began. We were walking along the ridge of the Korengal Valley reminiscing about how successful we had been on our mission when we walked into a trap.

Taliban fighters were there ready and they fired perfectly aimed rounds at us. I was knocked to the ground where my armored chest plate saved me from being wounded and probably killed. Once I returned to my feet, I found our group had been split in two. Five men including me had safely taken cover, but four men were still out in the open exposed to the Taliban. My instinct took over and I sprinted out to aid the men lying wounded. Sadly when I had arrived at the scene, one of the three men had been killed. I dragged the other two men back to safety. Then I spotted two Taliban men taking away a wounded Sergeant Brennan. I decided to fire at the two Taliban soldiers and I managed to retrieve Brennan from the men.

The men who had not been hurt and I carried the wounded to the hospital as fast as we could. We managed to get them all there alive, but later that night Sergeant Brennan died from a severe chest injury. All the other wounded men stayed in the hospital that night and the next day so the doctors could be sure they were able to return to duty. It was a tragic mission for the regiment and it was difficult for my squad to deal with the loss of two great friends.

After the services for the men who had been killed, it was difficult, but business went on like normal. One day many months later, I received a completely unexpected telephone call from President Barack Obama. He informed me that I would be receiving a Medal of Honor for my heroic action on the night of October 25, 2007. While I was honored, I viewed my actions as what any solider would do in a similar situation.