Medal of Honor recipients show meaning of 'hero'

Posted: Friday, July 15, 2011 7:00 am

The echoes of the fireworks have faded along with our once-a-year patriotic frenzy around the Fourth.
But before you put away the last of your red-white-and-blue attire, think about those who don’t just wear the flag as a fashion statement but wear it with pride and commitment. Think about our men and women in uniform. Think about Leroy Petry.
Army Sgt. First Class Leroy Petry is the latest recipient of the Medal of Honor. He is only the second living recipient of the nation’s highest military honor since the Vietnam War. The other is Army Staff Sgt. Salvatore Giunta.
Petry’s story bears repeating, even if you’ve heard it before.
Already wounded, with his Ranger unit under attack near the Pakistani border in May 2008, Petry continued fighting. When a grenade landed near him and two other soldiers, he grabbed it, instead of taking cover or turning away.
The grenade exploded as he attempted to throw it clear. The blast amputated his right hand and sent shrapnel into his body, but he put on a tourniquet and continued to direct his team.
Recovering in the hospital, he helped other injured military men and women. He continues that mission on active duty, stationed at Fort Benning, Ga.
In awarding the medal this week, President Obama said, “The service of Leroy Petry speaks to the very essence of America — that spirit that says, no matter how hard the journey, no matter how steep the climb, we don’t quit. We don’t give up.”
When you hear the word “hero,” think of Petry and Giunta and think of the seven servicemen who posthumously received the Medal of Honor for their actions in Iraq and Afghanistan: Army Sgt. First Class Paul R. Smith, Marine Corp. Jason Dunham, Army Specialist Ross A. McGinnis, Army Staff Sgt. Robert Miller, Navy Petty Officer Second Class Michael Monsoor, Army Sgt. First Class Jaren Monti and Navy Lt. Michael Murphy.
Their names are not as well known as the “heroes” on our baseball diamonds, basketball courts and football fields or the “stars” of the entertainment world, but they should be.
The nation owes a debt of gratitude to these nine medal recipients, recognized for “conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity” at the risk of their lives “above and beyond the call of duty,” and to the men and women who have served with them and continue to serve.

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