Medal of Honor... actually, medal or not. <3

[GypsyGraphics]

Last night as i watch the second 60 minutes interview with Sal Giunta, the most recent living medal of honor recipient... i thought of the most humbling day of my life, in 1999, when i had the tremendous honor of attending the Patriots Award Dinner. A dinner attended by every living Medal of Honor recipient (well enough to travel). I can't even begin to convey what that night was like but if you haven't seen the 60 Minutes interview with the first living soldier to receive the Medal of Honor since Vietnam, 26 year old Staff Sgt.Sal Giunta... in so many ways, just like the men i met that night.

If you haven't already seen these two interview, i suggest you take the time to watch both. Don't know how anyone could listen to this young man and not know in their heart of hearts, that every solider, recognized publicly or not is worthy of the same love, praise, respect and appreciation.

Listen to this humble young man, who calls himself nothing more than an average or a mediocre solder, and who says the Medal of Honor is "harder to wear than it was to earn."

One last note: I cringe when i hear the words "medal of honor winner"... it's an insult.... IT'S NOT WON, IT'S EARNED and those who receive it are RECIPIENTS (not winners).

you might wanna grab a box of kleenex...
1st interview with Sgt. Sal Giunta, Nov. 2010
2nd interview, last night.

 

[iSign]

I watched that last night... wow, that was heavy stuff!

Thanks for bringing the meaning home with that link!

oh, I only watched the first one... the second link went to a page full of options & I wasn't sure if I felt like watching all of them, but if they are as good as the first... well, what one(s) were you suggesting?

 

[GypsyGraphics]

that second link should be working now and take you right to the 60 minutes episode. (Pfizer owns you for 10 seconds though)

the first interview is only 14 minutes and the second it like 45

pretty touching stuff, and well worth the time to watch

 

[Border]

Great post!

 

[megacab]

awesome stuff for sure. the second man who will receive it was announced yesterday. he is a local guy from just up the road in santa fe. here is the local story on him.

http://www.santafenewmexican.com/Local News/S-F--man-to-be-awarded-Medal-of-Honor

 

[andy]

"Acting Sgt Pun was on sentry duty at a checkpoint near Babaji, in Afghanistan's Helmand province, on 17 September last year when he spotted insurgents trying to plant a bomb beside the front gate.

Moments later, militants opened fire on the compound from all sides.

For more than a quarter of an hour, alone on the roof, Acting Sgt Pun fought off an onslaught from rocket-propelled grenades and AK-47s.

In total, he fired more than 400 rounds, launched 17 grenades and detonated a mine.

At one point, when an insurgent tried to climb up to his position, his rifle failed and he resorted to throwing his machine gun tripod to knock him down."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-13619825