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White House to Award Medal of Honor to Former Fort Carson Soldier

Congressional Medal of Honor Society

During the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, just 10 U.S. service members have received our country’s highest military award for bravery.

On Monday, President Barack Obama will award the 11th Medal of Honor to Fort Carson Former Staff Sergeant Clinton L. Romesha for heroic actions in Afghanistan in October 2009.

The Medal of Honor was started by Congress back during the Civil War as a way to boost morale among soldiers and encourage them to re-enlist. Since 1861, 2,459 Americans have been awarded the Medal, including one woman, Mary Walker.

Northern Colorado is home to one of the Medal of Honor’s more recent recipients, Salvatore Giunta, who received the Medal in 2010. KUNC spoke with Giunta about his new book, Living with Honor, which was released in December 2012.

For his part, Sgt. Romesha is receiving the Medal for actions he performed as a section leader with Bravo Troop, 3d Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division.

http://youtu.be/e8qacP2zPbQ

On October 3 2009, about 300 fighters attacked Combat Outpost Keating in Afghanistan where Romesha was stationed. During the firefight, Romesha ignored his battle wounds, retrieving dead and injured soldiers. Ultimately, eight American soldiers were killed that day and two dozen additional were wounded in the attack, which is chronicled in the 2012 book, The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valour.

Romesha now lives in North Dakota with his wife and three kids. He works as a field safety specialist for an oil field construction firm.

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