Congressional Medal of Honor

Congressional Medal of Honor

The United States Armed Forces play an essential role in ensuring that the country is safe from external aggression. Many men and women place their lives at risk to protect ours. Other members display extreme courage to protect their fellow soldiers or the public in hazardous situations. In realization of the essential role these soldiers play, different awards and decorations have emerged since the nation was founded. One of these awards is the Congressional Medal of Honor. This is the highest and most recognized personal awards for military personnel who display notable acts of courage.

One of the soldiers who have been awarded the medal recently is an Iraq War veteran, David Bellavia. While the significance of the Iraq war has been called into question numerously, the role members of the armed forces such as Bellavia played is indispensable. His courage saved soldiers in his squad. In the footsteps of his grandfather, who was a World War II veteran, Bellavia joined the US Army Infantry in 1999. After the 9/11 attacks, he bid his wife and son young goodbye as he was deployed to foreign countries, including Germany, Kosovo, and Iraq (The White House, 2019). In 2004, anti-Iraq forces were growing in strength while capturing many cities. David and his squad were sent into the country in an attempt to liberate the city of Fallujah. The soldiers searched throughout the city for insurgents, door after door, and destroying weapons.  While trying to access one of the houses, they were ambushed, and bullets started flying everywhere. The squad was in the open, with several being wounded. David marched forward and fired at the insurgents as his team evacuated to safety. He continued to ward off all the insurgents until all the soldiers exited the building (The White House, 2019). As they were retreating, the insurgents started firing back from the rooftop. David matched back into the building and killed them all but was severely wounded in the process.

For the actions he portrayed, he was awarded the medal of honor after fifteen years of waiting.  The acts of David display many values that hold our society together. These values include patriotism, tolerance, and service. The values that can be learned from David inspire many and should be emulated by everybody.

David’s actions show patriotism. This value is the essential foundation of a country. People who are patriotic show support and love for their country. Since he was young, he showed a keep interest in serving his country. He sat eagerly listening to stories from his grandfather, who was a soldier during the Second World War (The White House, 2019). He wished to be a hero, just like the grandfather who had been awarded a Bronze Star medal. While others show patriotism in less risky ways such as voting, buying local goods, and thanking veterans, David chose to join the army and protect the country by fighting in foreign lands (Stout, 2017). The actions of David should inspire individuals to joined the armed forces to keep our country safe.

Another value one can learn from David is tolerance. This value can be explained as an ability to endure hardships. Individuals in common professions might face hard situations in different situations, but it is nothing compared to soldiers. At any moment while in the field, solders can be injured or even die. Despite this, David and his team tolerated through hard situations as they traversed insurgents-held regions in Iran. They did this without fear. At one point, David and his team were attacked as they were searching for insurgents and weapons in Fallujah, and the team had to retreat to safety. David went back to the building and faced an armed group of attackers alone (The White House, 2019). He was injured in the process, but he tolerated the physical pain to survive and killed the rest of the attackers. The high levels of tolerance displayed by him are an inspiration for all citizens, including the ones serving in the armed forces. Things might not be going as expected, and the country might be undergoing tough times, but that does not mean one should not lose hope.

The actions of David as a recipient of the Medal of Honor and other distinguished members of the US Armed Forces help us v essential values that glue society together. Though David, one learns the importance of patriotism. While not all people can enroll in the army, it is crucial to exercise other types of patriotism. Also, David’s actions emphasize the need for tolerance. Had he given up, he and his squad would probably have been killed by the insurgents. Similarly, it is essential for individuals to face situations bravely and not give up when their tolerance is needed most.

References

Dickstein, C. (2019, June 25). David Bellavia receives the Medal of Honor for his actions in a ‘house of nightmares’. Retrieved January 26, 2020, from https://www.stripes.com/news/us/david-bellavia-receives-the-medal-of-honor-for-his-actions-in-a-house-of-nightmares-1.587428

Stout, C. (2017, June 9). Seven ways to show patriotism. Retrieved January 31, 2020, from https://grandpashorters.com/seven-ways-to-show-patriotism/s

The White House. (2019, June 25). Remarks by President Trump at Presentation of the Congressional Medal of Honor to Staff Sergeant David Bellavia, U.S. Army. Retrieved from https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-presentation-congressional-medal-honor-staff-sergeant-david-bellavia-u-s-army/