Giunta attends National Medal of Honor Museum groundbreaking

May 18—CLINTON — Medal of Honor recipient Salvatore "Sal" Giunta, a native Iowan with ties to Clinton who now calls North Texas home, was among 15 Medal of Honor recipients who officially broke ground in late March on the new National Medal of Honor Museum in Arlington, Texas.

Giunta and his fellow recipients were joined by former President George W. Bush and current Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Mark A. Milley, among other dignitaries, in the historic ceremony that came as the nation observed National Medal of Honor Day.

Giunta, who earned his medal in 2007 in Afghanistan, took up a ceremonial shovel alongside fellow recipients whose valor on the battlefield traced from World War II to Korea to Vietnam to the Global War on Terror, and included the nation's last living World War II recipient, 98-year-old Woody Williams.

The 15 men turned over soil collected from all 50 states to symbolize the unifying nature of the project for the nation.

The ceremony also featured a military flyover by the 301st Fighter Wing from Joint Base Fort Worth; video tributes voiced by Academy Award-winning actor Matthew McConaughey; performances by the U.S. Marine Corps Silent Drill Platoon, the U.S. Air Force Band of the West, and the U.S. Naval Academy Glee Club; and remarks from Milley and Medal of Honor recipient Major General Patrick H. Brady (Ret.).

When completed, the one-of-a-kind museum will recognize the 3,511 service members who received the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest award for valor in combat, as well as all who they served alongside.

"When you're looking at a Medal of Honor recipient, you're looking at someone who has demonstrated gallantry under impossible odds," President Bush said at the groundbreaking ceremony. "You're looking at someone who has placed duty above self. You're looking at someone who understands the meaning of sacrifice in the most profound way. And you're looking at a person of integrity, fortitude and patriotism. You're looking at honor. And these values must be preserved, protected and passed onto future generations, and that is why the National Medal of Honor Museum is so important."

Giunta enlisted in the Army in 2003 at the age of 17. After completing basic training, Giunta was assigned to the 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team based in Vicenza, Italy, in May 2004.

In October 2007, while conducting a patrol near the Korengal Valley of Afghanistan then Specialist Giunta and his team were ambushed by a well-armed and well-coordinated insurgent force. Seeing that his squad leader had fallen and believing he had been injured, Giunta exposed himself to enemy fire and raced over to his leader. While administering medical aid, Giunta's body armor and his secondary weapon were struck by enemy fire. He then engaged the enemy with grenades, using the explosions to cover and conceal his position. After helping other injured soldiers, Giunta realized another soldier was still separated from the group. Advancing forward by himself, Giunta saw two insurgents carrying away that fellow soldier. He immediately engaged the enemy, killing one and wounding the other, saving his comrade from being captured.

In 2010 Staff Sergeant Giunta became the first living person since the Vietnam War to receive the Medal of Honor.

"It was an honor and a privilege to have so many Medal of Honor recipients attend the ceremony in person," said National Medal of Honor Museum Foundation President and CEO Chris Cassidy. "Having those 15 heroes in our midst as we broke ground on the place that will forever enshrine their stories was truly profound and made our mission that much more real."

A video recapping the Museum's groundbreaking ceremony can be found here.