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Subscribe to RSSAn Army Ranger, who today received the nation's highest military decoration at the White House, said "to be singled out is very humbling." But he added that he considers "every one of our men and women in uniform serving here or abroad to be our heroes."
After the ceremony, Sergeant First Class Leroy Petry asked the nation to "thank them, shake their hand, give them a pat on the back."
President Obama awarded the Medal of Honor to Petry for "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity" -- for his heroic actions that saved the lives of two fellow soldiers during a firefight on May 26, 2008 in Eastern Afghanistan.
A weapons squad leader from New Mexico on his seventh tour of duty since 9-11, Petry was part of an air assault team attacking a suspected al Qaeda's commander's hideout when the team came under attack by enemy fighters.
According to the Medal of Honor citation, SFC Petry was wounded in the firefight in both legs by automatic weapons fire, but still managed to lead another Ranger to cover. The situation escalated, as the enemy moved closer throwing grenades towards the team's position. When one grenade landed only a few feet away from Petry and two other U.S. soldiers, Petry "unhesitatingly and with complete disregard for his safety, deliberately and selflessly moved forward, picked up the grenade, and in an effort to clear the immediate threat, threw the grenade away from his fellow Rangers."
As he released the grenade it detonated, amputating his right hand at the wrist. Despite his wounds, Petry was able to place a tourniquet on himself and coordinated a medical evacuation for the team.
Obama, who last fall awarded the Medal of Honor to Army Sergeant Salvatore Giunta, the first living recipient since the Vietnam War, said Petry's actions "speaks to the spirit of America."
Petry, who today helps care for other wounded troops, chose to re-enlist and this past year deployed to Afghanistan for his eighth deployment. The president praised that sacrifice, saying: "This is the stuff of which heroes are made, this is the strength, the devotion that makes our troops the pride of every American."
"Leroy Petry showed that true heroes still exist and they're closer than you think," Obama said.
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Wow...now there is a HERO!!!!!!
Completely selfless in the service of his country!! To him and all others who are serving or have served...THANK YOU!!!!
Amen to that Grimey!
If there was ever a thread on FR I think we can ALL agree on, it would be this one!
Thank God for Sgt Petry, and so many others.
To Sergeant First Class Leroy Petry:
You are my Hero!!
Ditto that Grimey & DBO!!
What a story of heroism---and Sgt. Petry asks us to thank everyone ELSE in the military. I'd like to see every member of Congress---Democrat or Republican---sit down with Sgt. Petry and explain to him why they haven't given their utmost to solve the problems of this country.
Why .... they are not the commander in chief.
I would like for Obama to sit down with Sgt. Petry and be allowed to ask how you expect to win a war when you announce a pull out date, a date you quit and the day the bad guys win.
Why was Sgt. Petry fighting for his life when Obama never even mentions winning the war anymore? Sgt. Petry lost his hand so Obama could have a "responsible withdrawal?"
It would be great for him to be able to ask how they were supposed to win over the village elders, for them to risk their lives ...... when we are leaving in a few months.
I'm sure he would love to talk about Obama'sasinine ROEs too...... and all the unnecessary casualties.
Anyway, Sgt. Petry needs to hurry so Obama doesn't forget his name like the last two Congressional Medal of Honor recipients.
I'm with you on that Steeler. Our servicemen and women deserve much better from our political leaders. It is they who are subjected to an economy that threatens their ability to regain the lives they put on hold to serve our country. Many have suffered severe injury, psychological and physical, loss of homes and spouses and return home to find no jobs. This is no way for our brave and dedicated warriors to be treated.
Our congressional leaders have to be held accountable.
Sorry Steeler Fan,
I thought you were talking about Afghanistan, where he lived, risked his life and made the sacrifice.
Stupid me ..... libs never talk about Afghanistan.
Anyway ... same answer.
It would be great for Sgt. Petry to be able to say to Obama ......my guys have the courage to face AK fire, RPGs, mortar fire, IEDs .... we have the courage to risk our life for this country.
So President Obama .... why do you not have even the POLITICAL courage to offer a budget?
bob ~ You're on a serious misinformational roll.
I talk about Afghanistan all the time, and have been talking about both Afghanistan and Pakistan since about 2006.
You? Not so much, I suspect.
Looks like I spoke to soon - you can always count on Bob (lots of numbers) to twist something this poignant into something UGLY!
Sorry I haven't seen your stuff Anna Molly.
And really you have missed my comments, my biggest outrage.
You missed my comments about Obama dithered for a year to come up with a plan, all while deaths DOUBLED.
You have missed my comments about Obama's monthly averaged casualty rate being 6 TIMES Bush's rates.
How Obama has lost more than TWICE as many US lives in 29 months than Bush lost in 87!
All for what Anna ....... to pull out ...... a "responsible withdrawal?"
That is what the 1,016 (889 killed due to hostile action)gave their lives for?
Feisty,
Obama said Afghanistan was a war that had to be won, that he would win it. Then it took him a year to even come up with a plan - DEATHS DOUBLED the previous annual high while he dithered.
Then his purely political plan - throw in more troops to buy national security cred. and announce a pull-out date to appease the left.
Assinine. When has a military man ever announced a we quit date? Heck ..... when has anyone ever said something so idiotic.
It has been doomed since - the world knows it.
All for politics.
Now Obama confirms the draw down date - an option that wasn't even one of the numerous options provided to him by the military.
Again a POLITICAL Decision not a military decision. When was the last time you heard Obama mention winning in Afghanistan?
1,016 have DIED under this administration for a "responsible withdrawal?"
UGLY?
Nothing is uglier than Obama's handling of this war ...... he is not fit to command.
You're picking a fight with the wrong person, bob.
But one answer to your question may be that Bush essentially ignored Afghanistan in order to concentrate in Iraq, leaving the threat in Afghanistan to regenerate in the intervening years, and also deliberately leaving it to his predecessor to deal with. While committing that act of neglect, Bush also threw away about 4,500 lives in Iraq. It wasn't until 2008 that Bush sent Gates and Rice to Europe to request more assistance in Afghanistan -- that is, he didn't ask for help until it became clear that it might be a campaign issue -- and they were flat-out refused because of how our NATO allies had come to see Iraq. This utter policy failure on Bush's part left us, or rather it left President Obama, to go it alone. Obama said from the start that he would concentrate more on Afghanistan, so the fact that he did so should not be any surprise.
Like you, I was outraged -- and said so many times -- about the time it took President Obama to come up with a "plan" for Afghanistan, which was essentially nothing more than a double down. Like you, I am outraged by the deaths, as I was the by deaths in Iraq, which were for even less than the deaths in Afghanistan are for. But I wonder what you were saying at the time about THOSE 4,500 deaths. I don't recall it, but I know what I was saying.
I didn't need your comments to be aware of all this, and to oppose our continued involvement in Afghanistan. But you need a serious lesson in humility and rhetoric. People get upset with you because you presume to know what they think, and then you argue the strawmen you set up based on what you think they think, even continuing to do so even after you are corrected, as you did here. You are often wrong about what you attribute to me, but rather than acknowledging it, you double down, like Obama did in Afghanistan.
I'm just as outraged as you are about Afghanistan.
bob ~
If anyone was not fit to command ANYTHING it was George W. Bush. From the economy to the environment to the Halls of Montezuma to the shores of Tripoli, Bush was incompetent on every front.
The audacity of blaming President Obama SOLELY for the mess created by George W. Bush is astonishing. Blame him for his own mistakes -- fair enough -- but NEVER make the mistake of ignoring how it all came to be and how the choices that Obama had to make were driven by Bush's disastrous decision-making, or lack thereof.
The only way to avoid repeating history is to learn its lessons.
But since the topic is really President Obama, ask yourself this question, bob -- what would John McCain and Sarah Palin have done about Afghanistan? The prospect makes me shiver.
hey Anna,
I don't have time now but would love to continue it.
How about Saturday? If not let me know and I will kick it off again Thursday or Friday.
Thanks for your comments Anna.
Bravo. Ditto to everyone's comments.
It is wonderful to see living recipients of the Medal of Honor. Bravo, SFC Leroy Petry; it is the least America can do for our heroes.
I watched the ceremony earlier and just as before, find it moving and humbling in light of the sacrifices these brave men and women make every day.
I wonder if Obama told him that he will have to pawn his nice medal when he dosent get his his check on August 3rd if the U.S.A defaults. Along with other injured soldiers, veterans, elderly and disabled on SSI, civil service retirees, etc. but Obama and washington will get thier paychecks? Absolutely dispicible.
Leroy Petry may be a hero in the USA, but he also an international war criminal who has committed a capital crime. He committed exactly the same crime Hitler's troops who invaded Poland did. He aided and abetted an aggressive (first strike) war. Morally he is beneath contempt. He is addicted to killing people who were no threat to the USA. He is a mad dog. May he get his head blown off as soon as possible.
Green, If that is what you think you should seed such an article. This thread is to acknowledge and honor SFC Petry for his valiant and unselfish acts as an American Soldier. We as Soldiers freely and without hesitation or reservation give a sacred oath that we will perfom to the best of our abilities in regard to carrying out the orders of the President of the United States and the officers appointed over us.
So please go seed an article of your own to insult SFC Petry.
Personally I admire SFC Petry more than words can express. He is a great Soldier and an outstanding senior noncommissioned officer in the highest traditions of the United States Army.
Please go and seed your own article where you can insult SFC Petry and take a stiff dose of Haldol while you do it.
Very disrespectfully,
LTC Rattus, USA, ret.
Thank you SFC Petry! Just trying to imagine myself in your shoes at the time of this incident made me tear up with admiration at your incredible courage and selflessness. Simply amazing! May you live to be 100 and tell your story to your great grand kids!
PS: This from a generally anti war guy.