Sal Giunta

A valiant leader, former U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Sal Giunta was introduced by President Barack Obama as being “as humble as he is courageous” when he was presented with our nation’s highest military decoration—The Medal of Honor—for his heroic actions during combat in the Korengal Valley of Afghanistan. After Giunta’s unit was ambushed and pinned down by at least a dozen Taliban fighters, who fired shots from two sides simultaneously at close range, Giunta was hit twice while running into enemy fire to pull his fellow soldiers to cover. After insurgents began carrying away a fellow soldier, Giunta engaged the enemy, provided medical aid to his wounded comrade and ultimately saved a soldier from being taken by the enemy. His courage and leadership while under extreme enemy fire were integral to the team’s survival and led to his selection of being the first living recipient of the Medal of Honor since the Vietnam War. He would later bequeath his Medal of Honor to his brigade, stating that it doesn't belong to him alone, but to all the men and women who served alongside him. A true American hero and the author of Living with Honor (Fall 2012), Giunta inspires audiences with his story of unwavering courage, dedicated teamwork and decisive leadership.