Nearly 15 years after he saved his entire squad from insurgent fire in Fallujah, Iraq, former Army Staff Sgt. David G. Bellavia will become the first living recipient of the Medal of Honor from that conflict.
On November 10, 2004, Bellavia and his fellow soldiers had been pinned down. When an armored vehicle was unable to return direct fire, Bellavia quickly dropped his M16 in favor of an M249 SAW light machine gun.
Bellavia entered the house full of insurgents, eliminating one after another, five total, as he pursued the enemy through two floors and onto the structure’s roof.
ABC News reports Bellavia’s Silver Star is being upgraded as part of a Pentagon review of valor awards. He’ll receive the award June 25.
Source: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/army-veteran-living-recipient-medal-honor-war-iraq/story?id=63605214
