Army SSgt. 
Salvatore A. Giunta on Tuesday received the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest military decoration, from President Obama during a White House ceremony. Giunta is the first living MOH recipient since the Vietnam War. Obama called Giunta “a soldier as humble as he is heroic,” in recognizing him for his gallantry and intrepidity after his patrol was ambushed in Afghanistan’s Korengal Valley on Oct. 25, 2007. Giunta, a native of Hiawatha, Iowa, was a specialist and just 22 years old at the time. “Staff Sergeant Giunta, repeatedly and without hesitation, you charged forward through extreme enemy fire,” stated Obama. He continued, “Your actions disrupted a devastating ambush before it could claim more lives. Your courage prevented the capture of an American soldier and brought that soldier back to his family.” The President added: “[W]hen you meet Sal and you meet his family, you are just absolutely convinced that this is what America is all about. And it just makes you proud.” (Obama remarks) (White House blog entry with video of the ceremony) (See also our previous coverage: Airborne Soldier to be Awarded MOH) (See also AFPS report by Karen Parrish)
Billy Mitchell: Lessons a Hundred Years Hence
Dec. 16, 2025
Exactly 100 years ago, on Dec. 17, 1925, Brig. Gen. Billy Mitchell was convicted by court-martial for violating an order that required approval before he could engage with the media. Mitchell’s provocative thoughts and unorthodox methods sought attention for a cause that he saw as uniquely American.
