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Medal of Honor Recipient, Staff Sergeant Salvatore A. Guinta, shares his empowering life experiences
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-- all right I want to go now -- to one all of our great.
Heroes of the walls of the notes the United States has fought.
Over the last decade staff sergeant Salvatore Sal didn't test was the first living person.
To receive the medal of honor which is of course the highest -- How presented by the US military since the conclusion of the Vietnam War -- allies such staff sergeant -- -- ginger.
Has now written a memoir living -- wind up on a handout we are honored to be joined by him now.
From -- that New York studio -- guy really is a great honor to -- -- thank you so much for being here today.
And I thought -- could -- ask you first.
I explained to us exactly the circumstances.
That led to you you have receiving such an extraordinary honor the medal Obama.
-- Certainly 173.
Airborne infantry and Afghanistan and we -- on a fifteen month deployment.
And on October 25 2007.
We been out for four days prior.
The battalion like mission known are called rock avalanche.
And in rock avalanche on the fourth day on the 24 our scout team was overran and their weapons in and night vision goggles were.
For taking.
And so the next day we set out to engage the villagers to ask where our equipment is because they're gonna use it for propaganda and one thing that we have -- We can see at night when they can't see it -- of the night vision goggles are incredibly important.
We went out we set out early in the morning before the the sun came up.
Second -- -- Another platoon battle company entered the village down below and engage the elders we had a high ground so no one -- set up from the and the mountains above them -- shoot down Adam.
Third platoon was above also known could take the high ground on our platoon and we sat there all day and with no luck of of getting any equipment back and -- -- was very helpful in the village.
As the sun went down we decide we're gonna walk back it was about two and a half hour walk back -- base and within the first.
400 meters maybe.
We were hit by near -- -- the ambush.
Which essentially is we're walking analyzed 1015 meters between people -- longer need could kill two people and done.
Third -- -- line was parallel to ours so as we came into.
Closer proximity to the ambush fine which we couldn't see them they're under cover and concealment.
They opened up on us.
Was in the first I don't know probably ten seconds pretty much every one that I was where there's eighteen of us.
-- -- shop somewhere.
My first reaction is to the two men that I was in charge of -- -- Cleary and -- clear we're doing actually everything.
They needed to do -- for professional soldiers is what we do for a living.
I could tell them to do anything so I was able to to look towards my leader -- -- As I look at -- in Florida he was struck in -- helmet by a bullet but at the time I thought he was shot in the head and he went down.
I didn't know I was kinda overcome -- a whole -- -- feelings at that time.
And I ran forward to grab -- who are -- pull him back and as a quarterback I I honestly thought I was going back.
A dead body and he started stumbling to speak the bullet -- his home it sure felt like.
Didn't hit in the head with a baseball bat but he was okay.
And as he stumbled to SP -- he threw grenades and move so we started throwing grenades in moving north when the emotionally boost to our west.
As I was grabbing -- -- and -- them back at that time I was also shot in the chest and record -- proof vest but certainly the bullet resistant vest stops the -- so.
No harm no follow -- but what was strange was.
The board that struck me came from the north and -- ambush the attacking line was from the west so that was something to keep in mind.
As we ran forward we first came upon sort -- -- and -- -- was on the ground you shot twice in the Reagan twice in the chest and his weapon which jammed.
Sort of sort of killed off to -- -- and so we don't put two people on the same -- I continue to move forward.
To search for sergeant Brendan.
My plan being that I would fight next to my brother and we could we could overcome this ambush.
And when I got to where I thought he should be he he wasn't there.
And ultimately the answer in and -- near ambush like this is to charge the -- line and hopefully can briefing -- -- you shoot more than the nation to view and we'll -- -- we can wrap it up without anymore injuries are on our half.
As I ran for right.
-- came upon two.
Bad guys will say.
-- sergeant -- Bobby away Serge Brin was wounded.
Several in several places I think seven gunshot wounds and in multiple shrapnel wounds -- body but he was still alive.
And as I ran forward and realize more or less what I've seen I.
I eliminated -- today killed one of the the bad guys on the spot the other guy jumped off the kind of side of the cliff I guess.
-- when I approach friend and I grabbed -- to bring an end because we -- past our guys and next next -- -- before and really either side could have shot us and it was dark and it's chaotic and behind this where the majority of world where everyone else was they were doing a whole bunch of shooting and -- are taking -- majority of the fire on them so I I had the freedom of movement.
I just -- bring -- -- and ran back the direction that -- came.
As I got back.
Are called for a medic and a call for -- three times in my life and every time I've called for -- there's -- -- -- there.
Within seconds.
And this time there was no -- our medic.
Social -- -- Mendoza was killed within the first couple seconds of the ambush.
We started.
Assessing the situation and as.
-- bush line started to deteriorate in pre contact from -- we had two Apache helicopters above us senator Specter C 130.
And once they treated the space between us and then their support could engage.
The bad guys and which they did and they they pretty much wiped out the bad guys.
We we exchange -- we we loaded up or wounded in our -- into helicopters.
And we need to be -- ammo -- and weapons.
And we walked back.
You know it's sad to say I mean.
We've been at war Furl for eleven years and this is not uncommon what we expect got a million men and women in uniform every single day is too.
Do exactly that go above and beyond the call it before.
The Brothers and sisters in arms for the persons who left into the right at them.
That it's not about the individuals about the team and that day.
What.
Which stands nobody would agree that there.
Hey every single every single.
Sold here every single marine whose served over these possible -- is an absolutely terribly your your acts of heroism.
Obviously do stand that even if you're -- too modest to to take that yourself that hence.
The medal of honor and now you've written this book I wonder if in any sense that the book.
Aids and helps you sort of process everything you've been through because these -- on such extraordinary.
Scenes to live through extraordinary things to go through that not very few of us.
Can appreciate just how tough it is but it is that -- of the writing here that that that helps you process what you've been through.
Kind of getting a different situation than most I'm kind of told to talk about my my situation more the point in the book is to describe.
The average American servicemen and woman I mean I'm just a kid -- my life I worked at a subway join the military because I want to serve my country and like so many other people that -- I'm an average American citizen just trying to do the right thing and defend our country and keep -- as free as possible in the book I wanted to use my friends' names.
Nothing that I did nothing we did was top seeker that I can talk about it so.
I believe they deserve to be highlighted just as much as I am and the book gives me that chance to do that in -- I know -- -- one of the lessons from the bulk.
Fall -- the average American what are you trying to tell the average American who reads this book.
Not over until you decide you're done try.
Good people can become bad people -- that people can become good people and you know -- long as we're trying to do something.
Outside of ourselves for trying to do something for community or state or country or just for someone else out of the kindness of our heart.
It makes a difference and we can all achieve more by working together in in no way shape or form.
Anything that I've done in my life -- done it alone there's always been people there to guide me mentor me console me it's important.
All right stop sergeant Salvatore yeah -- ginned up.
You are as all of your colleagues in uniform off heroes to all of us here in the United States we thank you.
For your service for everything you have done for this country.
Thank you for writing a book to allow us to share part of -- the book of course he's living -- available iTunes bookstore and even those old fashioned.
Bricks and mortar bookstores if you can find the -- sergeant thank you very much a real honor to told -- -- -- for.
