Salvatore Augustine Giunta was born on January 21, 1985 in Clinton, Iowa. He is the oldest of three children born to Steve and Rose.
“He was born on a very cold day; I think we hit 40 below. We couldn’t get the car started, and Steve kind of went into oh my gosh the car won’t start and you’re in labor,” said Rose. The car did eventually start, and Sal was born without complications at the hospital. Growing up Sal always had a lot of energy and was very athletic. He played football and was known to be a fast runner. His brother Mario said, “You wanted him on your side because that was the usually the winning side, he saw things through until they are finished.” Katie, Sal’s sister, remembers, “He was always really popular, he always had a lot of friends, he was always doing school activities. He was Charlie Brown in the play. He was always really caring and really protective of me, a really good guy.”
Sal graduated high school and joined the Army. He said his inspiration came one night when he was working at Subway and a recruiter appeared on television and said they were giving away free t-shirts. Sal said, “I’m a sucker for a free t-shirt.”
Steve, Sal’s father said the Army was a good fit for his son, “Adventurous and that’s where the military comes in because airborne that adventure it filled his need, to live life adventurous, in an adventurous fashion, and it focus him up. I just cannot say enough about that. He had such a zest for life and he found a place for it as a Soldier.”
While on deployment in 2007 in Afghanistan, Sgt. Giunta’s team, the 173rd Airborne Brigade, ran into trouble. “We were on a large battalion operation, we were the main effort in an operation to disrupt the enemy called Rock Avalanche,” said Major Dan Kearney. The team was in the village Landigal, and the goal was to find equipment that was stolen from them on a raid the enemy previously conducted. Sgt. William Burns recalls, “The terrain was in such a case where we had to walk pretty much ducks in a row down the top of this mountain.” Major Kearney says the soldiers were going to engage the local elders to find information about who conducted the raid. In no time at all, the platoon leader called out a “TICK” also known as, “Troops in Contact.”
Sgt. William Burns, another team member said, “It didn’t seem like any time had passed… basically all hell broke loose pretty much on both sides. I just remember Sgt. Perry was in front of me, I remember both of us running up to the next basically cover position with a brim on both sides. I remember our squad leader he had taken a bullet right through his helmet and it just barley grazed his skin, he was pretty lucky.”
“I got shot in the stomach, and I also heard my team leader, Sgt. Brennan says he got hit. I got down and started engaging the area with my squad automatic weapon,” said team member Sgt. Frank Eckrode.
When the team looked up, they saw Sgt. Brennan being dragged away by the enemy. That’s when multiple team members say Sgt. Giunta sprang into action and darted across enemy lines. Sgt. Eckrode remembers specifically, “At that point it was a wall of lead… the first thing I think was Sgt. Giunta was probably going to get killed up there.” Major Kearney said Sgt. Giunta bolted through the ambush and engaged the men who were dragging Sgt. Brennan away.
Sgt. Giunta shot the enemies, and saved Sgt. Brennan, bringing him back to safety and then helping to assess and treat his wounds. Sgt. Giunta said, “I saw two people carrying one person kind by the hands and by the feet, but as I ran closer I kind realized more of what was going on, and it was two ACM carrying Sgt. Brennan, so I just started shooting, that’s what we do, and I grabbed Sgt. Brennan and dragged him back a little bit, but he was still alive and he was talking about how his face hurt, he was shot in his face and in his arms. (I) just tried to reassure him you know that everything was going to be okay, everything is fine.”
Sgt. Brennan was flown out along with the teams Captain who was hit, but sadly, Sgt. Brennan didn’t make it.
“It started sounding like some story I heard about or read about in World War I or World War II, you don’t hear about single individuals taking on the responsibility to lead their squad when they are a specialist, treat their squad leader after they’ve been shot three times, and third, go repatriate their best friend from behind enemy lines that’s being dragged away by the enemy and then to run back into the kill zone to start treating his men,” said Major Kearney.
Sgt. Giunta told the Pentagon Channel, “I didn’t run on to do anything heroic, I ran on to go fight next to my brother, to go fight next to my friend who I already served one tour in Afghanistan with who we live in the same barracks building for the last four years.”
Sgt. Giunta was nominated for the Medal of Honor, and the President of the United States called him to congratulate him on this award and to invite him to the formal White House ceremony. That ceremony will take place today, November 16, 2010.
The Hall of Heroes ceremony will honor Sgt. Giunta on Wednesday, November 17, 2010 at the Pentagon.
On Wednesday, Nov. 17, The Pentagon Channel will air Souls of Valor, a one-hour special devoted to three recent Medal of Honor recipients.
Check out to learn more about SSG Giunta, view the battlescape of where the ambush occurred and hear interviews from those who fought beside him that night.
Outstanding Sgt! You did not leave your men behind in the face of certain harm to yourself your selfless act earned you the right to be prosented with the Nations highiest honor. Semper Fi!
Thank you for showing how we all serve our country. Thank you for the face and words that you have shown our nation about what our servicemen and women are doing. Thank you for taking the honor.
I missed the live coverage. Does anyone know when the video will be uploaded?
The full video is uploaded to
Very respectfully,
Elliott Fabrizio
Blog Admin
I don’t want to sound like he doesn’t deserve something but the MOH? Marines have to die in order to get an award of this caliber and he went and got his buddy, commedable but not MOH worthy. MOH is suppose to be for paying the ultimate price while doing something above and beyond. Yes he ran into fire, yes he was exposed, and yes he did something most would not have, for that he’s at the top of a very short list of out standing men (and women) in the services and he has my respect for what he did but I don’t think he should get this award. SSG Giunta I salute you I really do but think of all the men and women that have died doing something similar and have gotten nothing like this.
And Lynn if you’re going to give someone appreciation don’t cross branches! He’s Army Semper Fi is Marine Corps.
What a ridiculous comment. This guy deserves the honor. You, sir, sound jealous and not worthy of this sort of recognition. Everyone knows there are good Marines and bad Marines, and you degrade the Marine Corps when you pass kind of judgment and then arrogantly throw around the whole “Semper Fi” thing, as if you’re better than Giunta because he’s Army and you’re USMC. Get a grip, dude.
Typical Marine; the Medal of Honor is not only awarded posthumously. If you were not such an idiot child you would know that there are indeed many Marines, still living, that are MOH recipients.
Well Cpl., I am sure there are many servicemembers who deserve the MOH. For instance there were 250 MOH’s awarded for Vietnam and the current wars are are probably last longer. I am sure there are more in the pipeline. Make no mistake SSG Guinta deserves it as well. His peers and supervisors also feel the same way. You were not there so please do not try to lessen his award. It is an award for all servicemembers and he will represent it well. Remember personnel well above your pay grade believe he deserves it, too include top Marine Generals. No sour grapes please.
CPL USMC, the criteria for the MOH clearly states that the medal is awarded for “conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her life above and beyond the call of duty while engaged in an action against an enemy of the United States.” There is nothing in the criteria for the award that states that the individual must be killed in the action in which they earn the award. 853 service members have earned the MOH since 7 DEC 1941, 329 of these service members lived through their action including multiple US Marines. As stated multiple times during today’s presentation there are now 87 service members (including SSG Giunta) that are alive today who are recipients of the MOH. Your statement of “paying the ultimate price while doing something above and beyond” is inaccurate. The action that SSG Giunta conducted went above and beyond the call of duty and he is deserving of this award.
Utilizing “Semper Fi” as a sign of gratitude is perfectly acceptable across any service. If a US Marine chooses to honor a Soldier with this statement that is their right.
Probably best said by Sir Winston Churchill,
“Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.”
Sal you make us all so proud!!! Hope you and some of the men from Bravo Company got to drink some beer in DC this week as we discussed the morning of the Army Ten Miler.
CPL USMC you are obviously very ignorant of the requirement for award of the MOH. Nowhere does is say you must die to receive it. Nowhere in the Navy requirements (because Marines get the Navy MOH) does it say that a Marine has to die in order to qualify for the award. Do yourself a favor and read some books on the MOH and read some previous citations. True, many people received the award for “greater” accomplishments. Many also received the award for “lesser” accomplishments. Do not make the mistake as a Corporal with very little time in the military of judging who is “worthy” of any award. It may be you someday who is unjustifiably judged “unworthy” by another. Semper Fi my freind (and that is also the motto of the former 174th Infantry Regiment of the NYARNG dating back to before the Civil War. My former unit).
CPL USMC,
I recommend watching this video so you can get an idea of SSG Giunta. The interviewer asks the SSG how he feels about receiving the award, and given his response, I guarantee you will see things differently… It’s an incredible interview and I recommend everyone watch it.
-A Future Solider
I would just like to reply with on all the comments after CPL USMC. I agree with them all and alot of hard facts were stated with great tact to ensure you do not tarnish the marines emotions. As a United States Navy Corpsman that has served for many years with marine infantry and combat units not infantry, that is greatly appreciated it. For my brother, CPL, please in the future before you make comments please have the right facts. On the use of Semper Fi I am also biased to it being a Marine term in todays military but if one service member renders it to another (outside the corps) then it is a sign of respect and well deserved. This is the biggest problem with our militaries today is that we do not understand the concept of joint service as a whole. CPL do not be discouraged, no one is trying to dog you….education is power and no one can take what you learned from you. To all stay motivated, Semper Fi and Semper fortis!!
-HM2 (FMF)
I am very proud that a member of the Army has been one of the few people to be awarded the MOH in times when, if I remember right, the last MOH was awarded posthumously(might have spelled that wrong). In the last couple of decades the number of MOH awarded has been low anyway. But we as American soldiers, citizens, and even residents should be proud to know that there are soldiers that live the army values such as this courageous sergent who without consideration for self went to rescue another soldier from ending up on Al Jazira(once again spelling?).