Salvatore Giunta's guest appearances

Salvatore Giunta

Pritzker Military Museum &amp; Library Podcasts

Pundit Review Radio

War Stories with Preston and Sayre

Florent Groberg

John Basilone

Sebastian Junger

Michael Murphy

Luis Fonseca

Ryan Pitts

David Bellavia

Desmond Doss

Dakota Meyer

Dwayne Turner

Jason Dunham

Robert Cole

Michael Thornton

Travis Manion

John Kelly

OwlTail

25OCT2007: Serving as a team leader with Company B, 2-503IN, SPC Salvatore Giunta and his squad began a patrol that would take them back to the relative safety of their nearby outpost.  Shortly after leaving their overwatch position, SPC Giunta's squad became the focus of a near ambush initiated by 10-15 Taliban fighters. Armed with assault rifles, machine guns, and RPGs, the enemy force initiated contact with a heavy barrage of close range fire.  The two elements were so close that attack aviation overhead was unable to differentiate between friend and foe.  Almost instantly, the two men at the head of the column were hit and fell wounded.  In reflexive response, SPC Giunta fired into the enemy attackers as he fell back a few feet to consolidate his fire team.   The volume of fire only intensifying and now coming from two sides, SPC Giunta led a counterattack to break up the ambush.  Leading with grenades, SPC Giunta and his men pushed into the teeth of the enemy ambush, recovering one of the wounded US Soldiers to whom they began providing medical aid.  However, SGT Joshua Brennan wasn't lying where he fell. Despite the continued enemy fire, SPC Giunta pushed forward in search of his fallen brother.  Cresting the hill he spotted two Taliban fighters carrying a wounded SGT Brennan away.  Without hesitation, Giunta took aim and charged ahead killing one enemy fighter and wounding the other causing them to drop SGT Brennan.  His team consolidated and held on for reinforcements as the battle dissipated.  For his selfless act of courage in breaking up the enemy ambush and rescuing a wounded American from being taken captive, SPC Salvatore Giunta would be awarded the Medal of Honor.

25OCT2007: Serving as a team leader with Company B, 2-503IN, SPC Salvatore Giunta and his squad began a patrol that would take them back to the relative safety of their nearby outpost.  Shortly after leaving their overwatch position, SPC Giunta's squad became the focus of a near ambush initiated by 10-15 Taliban fighters. Armed with assault rifles, machine guns, and RPGs, the enemy force initiated contact with a heavy barrage of close range fire.  The two elements were so close that attack aviation overhead was unable to differentiate between friend and foe.  Almost instantly, the two men at the head of the column were hit and fell wounded.  In reflexive response, SPC Giunta fired into the enemy attackers as he fell back a few feet to consolidate his fire team.   The volume of fire only intensifying and now coming from two sides, SPC Giunta led a counterattack to break up the ambush.  Leading with grenades, SPC Giunta and his men pushed into the teeth of the enemy ambush, recovering one of the wounded US Soldiers to whom they began providing medical aid.  However, SGT Joshua Brennan wasn't lying where he fell. Despite the continued enemy fire, SPC Giunta pushed forward in search of his fallen brother.  Cresting the hill he spotted two Taliban fighters carrying a wounded SGT Brennan away.  Without hesitation, Giunta took aim and charged ahead killing one enemy fighter and wounding the other causing them to drop SGT Brennan.  His team consolidated and held on for reinforcements as the battle dissipated.  For his selfless act of courage in breaking up the enemy ambush and rescuing a wounded American from being taken captive, SPC Salvatore Giunta would be awarded the Medal of Honor.

SPC Salvatore Giunta (B/2-503IN, 173rd ABN) Korengal Valley, Afghanistan 25OCT2007

Honor

Salvatore A. Giunta is the first living recipient of the Medal of Honor for actions in Iraq or Afghanistan, and the first living recipient of the Medal of Honor for actions which occurred since Vietnam.

Medal of Honor Recipient Salvatore Giunta Interview

Bruce McQuain from Blackfive joined us once again for Someone You Should Know, our weekly tribute to the troops. Bruce spent 28 years in the U.S. Army and he is a veteran of the Vietnam war. He brings a perspective and understanding to these stories that we could never match.Last week, two men were awarded the nation’s highest award, the Medal of Honor. Last weekend, Bruce told us about one of those men, U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Robert James Miller. This week, he told us about the first living recipient of the Medal of Honor since the Vietnam War. His name is Staff Sgt. Salvatore Giunta,"Giunta’s squad of eight soldiers was ambushed during a nighttime patrol in the Korengal Valley in eastern Afghanistan, an area so dangerous to American troops it had become known as the “Valley of Death.”An Army specialist at the time, Giunta survived a bullet to the chest, but his life was saved by the protective body armor he was wearing. Under fire, Giunta immediately proceeded to recover two fellow soldiers wounded in the attack who had become separated from the main part of the squad. It was after this that Giunta saw two Taliban fighters dragging away the body of another wounded soldier, Sgt. Josh Brennan, who was also one of his closest friends. Giunta threw grenades at the insurgents and after firing all his rounds forced them to drop Brennan to the ground. While under fire, he provided care to Brennan until medical help could arrive. Brennan did not survive his wounds nor did the squad’s medic, Spec. Hugo Mendoza. Most of those on patrol that night suffered serious injuries."The Someone You Should Know radio collaboration began as an extension of Matt Burden’s series at Blackfive. Bruce does an incredible job with the series every week. The Pundit Review Radio Podcast RSS feed can be found here.What is Pundit Review Radio?On Boston’s Talk Station WRKO since 2005, Pundit Review Radio is where the old media meets the new. Each week we give voice to the work of the most influential leaders in the new media/citizen journalist revolution. Called “groundbreaking” by Talkers Magazine, this unique show brings the best of the blogs to the radio every Sunday evening from 6-8pm on AM680 WRKO, Boston’s Talk Station.

Bruce McQuain from Blackfive joined us once again for Someone You Should Know, our weekly tribute to the troops. Bruce spent 28 years in the U.S. Army and he is a veteran of the Vietnam war. He brings a perspective and understanding to these stories that we could never match. Last week, two men were awarded the nation’s highest award, the Medal of Honor. Last weekend, Bruce told us about one of those men, U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Robert James Miller. This week, he told us about the first living recipient of the Medal of Honor since the Vietnam War. His name is Staff Sgt. Salvatore Giunta, "Giunta’s squad of eight soldiers was ambushed during a nighttime patrol in the Korengal Valley in eastern Afghanistan, an area so dangerous to American troops it had become known as the “Valley of Death.” An Army specialist at the time, Giunta survived a bullet to the chest, but his life was saved by the protective body armor he was wearing. Under fire, Giunta immediately proceeded to recover two fellow soldiers wounded in the attack who had become separated from the main part of the squad. It was after this that Giunta saw two Taliban fighters dragging away the body of another wounded soldier, Sgt. Josh Brennan, who was also one of his closest friends. Giunta threw grenades at the insurgents and after firing all his rounds forced them to drop Brennan to the ground. While under fire, he provided care to Brennan until medical help could arrive. Brennan did not survive his wounds nor did the squad’s medic, Spec. Hugo Mendoza. Most of those on patrol that night suffered serious injuries." The Someone You Should Know radio collaboration began as an extension of Matt Burden’s series at Blackfive. Bruce does an incredible job with the series every week. The Pundit Review Radio Podcast RSS feed can be found here. What is Pundit Review Radio? On Boston’s Talk Station WRKO since 2005, Pundit Review Radio is where the old media meets the new. Each week we give voice to the work of the most influential leaders in the new media/citizen journalist revolution. Called “groundbreaking” by Talkers Magazine, this unique show brings the best of the blogs to the radio every Sunday evening from 6-8pm on AM680 WRKO, Boston’s Talk Station.

Someone You Should Know: Staff Sgt. Salvatore Giunta