President Obama Presents Medal of Honor to Massachusetts Hero
Sep 17th, 2009 | 24 responses
A couple of months ago, President Obama announced that he would be awarding the Medal of Honor to Army Sgt. 1st Class Jared C. Monti, who was killed by enemy fire on June 21, 2006, while trying to rescue wounded comrades in the mountains of Afghanistan.
This afternoon, the President performing what probably is one of his most solemn duties as president and commander-in-chief, presented the Medal of Honor posthumously to the Massachusetts hero.
Sgt. 1st Class Monti thus becomes the first hero awarded our nation’s highest honor under the Obama administration, and only the sixth soldier to receive the Medal of Honor after eight years of combat in Afghanistan and more than six years of combat in Iraq.
In a packed, ornate East Room of the White House, Paul and Janet Monti accepted the nation’s highest honor for valor on behalf of their son Jared, an Army sergeant who would have turned 34 on Sunday.
Obama presented the framed medal to Paul Monti, shook his hand, then kissed Janet Monti’s cheek.
Obama said the ceremony was a celebration of the family and friends who molded Monti into the man who would willingly give up his life for another.
His actions “were the culmination of a life of courage and commitment,” the president said, and represented his “deep and abiding love for his fellow soldiers.”
Obama described Monti’s heroism on June 21, 2006, when he “did what he was trained to do” — but also did what no amount of training can prepare one for — facing enemy fire three times before he was struck down by a rocket-propelled grenade.
“Jared Monti saw the danger before him and went out to meet it,” the president said.
Saying that he had been told that Monti was “a very humble guy,” Obama named the three others who died in the battle.
Obama called Monti literally “one in a million,” noting that over the 150 years that the medal has been awarded for conspicuous gallantry, tens of millions Americans have served in uniform, but fewer than 3,500 have received the honor.
Among the 120 attendees were Senator John F. Kerry and Representative Barney Frank of Massachusetts, top Pentagon officials, members of Monti’s 10th Mountain Division, and other Medal of Honor recipients.
Senator Kerry entered a statement of tribute into the Congressional Record, excerpts of which are below:
Sergeant Monti joins an elite group of Americans who have received the Medal of Honor. Just 3,447 before him – all soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen of uncommon courage, valor and gallantry – have been so honored. He is the sixth to be awarded the Medal of Honor for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Millions of Americans have defended our nation’s liberty for more than two centuries. But these 3, 447 – and now Sergeant Monti – risked their lives above and beyond the call of duty. And 617, like Sergeant Monti, gave their lives for the cause of America’s freedom.
Our soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen perform acts of bravery every day. But some of those acts, like Sergeant Monti’s on June 26, 2006, exceed even our country’s highest expectations.
Sergeant Monti was leading a patrol of 16 troops on a mountain range in Afghanistan when attacked by a Taliban force of more than 50 fighters. Sergeant Monti not only prevented the Taliban force from overrunning his unit but also positioned his forces to disrupt a flanking attempt.
The Sergeant managed to call in air support which eventually forced the enemy to retreat and prevented the patrol from being overrun against overwhelming odds.
When he realized one of his fellow Marines was missing, he went searching for him. He found him lying wounded and exposed in the open ground. Sergeant Monti exposed himself to heavy enemy fire three times trying to rescue the wounded soldier. On the third attempt, the Sergeant was mortally wounded.
Sergeant Monti’s ability to act quickly and decisively in the midst of enemy fire is testimony to his leadership, without which his patrol’s casualty rate that day would have been substantially higher.
Sergeant Monti was an extraordinary American and an extraordinary Marine, one of extraordinary gallantry. By his actions, he has taken his rightful place in the revered company of our country’s most selfless heroes.
According to army.mil:
The nature of our most recent conflicts is different than those past. Service members distinguish themselves in different ways, and Sgt. 1st Class Monti distinguished himself conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty-the reason he is the recipient of the Medal of Honor. As long as America is the home of the brave, there will be nominees for the Medal of Honor. As we move into our eighth year of persistent conflict, we’re reminded that our men and women continue to serve honorably, selflessly and courageously.
To view a “first-of-its-kind” multimedia website created by the U.S. Army for Sgt. Monti, please click here.
Image: Courtesy U.S. Army
24 Responses to “President Obama Presents Medal of Honor to Massachusetts Hero”
What took so long for him to be awarded? He died three years ago.
-Nikki-
nthomas00:
The criteria for a hero to qualify for our nation's highest military award are so exacting that in many cases it requires an awful lot of investigation, paperwork, and, yes, “red tape.” There have been cases where a hero has not been awarded the Medal of Honor sometimes 20, 30, or more years after his acts of heroism.
I believe that one of the criteria for the Medal of Honor is something to the effect that there has to be one hundred percent certainty that the “candidate” meets all the requirements.
If you check back, 'll try to get some examples and additional info.
Thank you for your interest.
Dorian
Well, I just checked the FoxNews.com home page. 'Nary a peep about this there. There is a story about it on their website, and if you search for it, you can find it, but nobody booed or yelled “liar”, so it doesn't rate, I guess.
Same for Drudge. God amighty how low have we sunk.
We would do well to leave politics out of this, and use this space to honor a hero.
Nikki:
Back again.
As an example there is a young Marine, Sgt. Rafael Peralta, who was recommended for the Medal of Honor back in 2004 by the Commandant of the Marine Corps. After being shot in Iraq the young Marine fell on the ground and scooped a grenade under his body to protect his buddies. He was killed but his buddies lived.
In September, 2008, Rafael Peralta’s family was notified by the Marine Corps that Secretary of Defense Robert Gates had rejected the Marine Corps’ recommendation for Sgt. Peralta to receive the Medal of Honor.
The panel that reviewed the recommendation claimed that Peralta’s actions did not meet the standard of “without any possibility of error or doubt”.
His case is still being “appealed”. You can read more about it at
http://themoderatevoice.com/30745/stolen-valor-…
I am sure the evening news channels will have something on the ceremony. One of the cable channels had something on it this afternoon.
Thanks for your interest.
Dorian
Good point, tidbits. Thanks
NBC ran a story about it this evening in their personal news slot near the end of the newscast. Yesterday an 8x year-old woman told me that the only news she reads is from Drudge or foxnews.com. That's why I checked. I'm sure she is not alone.
Tidbits is correct – politics is set aside.
I checked ABC and it's front page news (website).
Others are spotted at best (even MSNBC – wow).
I think the story is back burner material since Ahmadinijad has been confirmed to have nuke capability by the UN. Apparently that superceded SFC Monti's heroism. Let's face it….. It would have been back burner material if this happened during the Michael Jackson funeral as well.
SFC Monti is a hero and more than deserves this honor.
And to DE Rodriguez…. During my time in the military (22 years), it seemed that most of the Medal of Honor candidates have already been awarded a Silver Star (or similar honor) and are waiting for those awards to be “upgraded” to MoH status. Is that the case?
I am not familiar with “upgrading” of silver stars or similar honors. Typically, Medal of Honor recipients (we don't call them “winners”) are also awarded other decorations.
But I'll check into it.
Thanks for your comments
Thank you Dorian for posting on this . .
When the Metal of Honor is awarded does it involve anything besides the award at the ceremony?
Dorian i hope you don't mind me posting this, but thought it was really interesting. . .i was hoping the Metal of Honor was more than just a brief ceremony. . .
Authority and privileges
The U.S. Army Medal of Honor was first authorized by a joint resolution of Congress on July 12, 1862. The specific authorizing statute was 10 U.S.C. § 3741, which states:
“ The President may award, and present in the name of Congress, a medal of honor of appropriate design, with ribbons and appurtenances, to a person who while a member of the Army, distinguished himself conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty.[36] ”
The grave of a recipient at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial
Grave of a recipient at the Memphis National Cemetery
Later authorizations created similar medals for other branches of the service.
The Medal of Honor confers special privileges on its recipients. By law, recipients have several benefits:[37][38][39]
* Each Medal of Honor recipient may have his or her name entered on the Medal of Honor Roll (38 U.S.C. § 1560). Each person whose name is placed on the Medal of Honor Roll is certified to the United States Department of Veterans Affairs as being entitled to receive the special pension of US$1,027 per month above and beyond any military pensions or other benefits for which they may be eligible. As of December 1, 2004, the pension is subject to cost-of-living increases.
* Enlisted recipients of the Medal of Honor are entitled to a supplemental uniform allowance.
* Recipients receive special entitlements to air transportation under the provisions of DOD Regulation 4515.13-R.
* Special identification cards and commissary and exchange privileges are provided for Medal of Honor recipients and their eligible dependents.
* Fully qualified children of recipients are eligible for admission to the United States military academies without regard to the nomination and quota requirements.
* Recipients receive a 10% increase in retired pay under 10 U.S.C. § 3991.
* Those awarded the medal after October 23, 2002, also receive a Medal of Honor Flag. The law also specifies that all 103 living prior recipients also receive the flag.(14 U.S.C. § 505).
* As with all medals, retired personnel may wear the Medal of Honor on “appropriate” civilian clothing. Regulations also specify that recipients of the Medal of Honor are allowed to wear the uniform “at their pleasure” with standard restrictions on political, commercial, or extremist purposes; other former members of the armed forces may do so only at certain ceremonial occasions.[40][41]
Saluting
* It is customary for a Medal of Honor recipient to always be saluted, no matter what the rank.[42]
* Recipients are always greeted and saluted before non-recipients are greeted or saluted.
Wickipedia
Knew I shouldn't have read this. Flashback to the Nam. One of my few good ones. I was an army pay specialist and one of the unit's cashiers brought a Marine back to me. He didn't say anything to me, but he told the Marine that if anyone could help him, I could. He held the guy's pay record open and pointed to the top, It read “Awarded Congressional Medal of Honor” and a date. Got the ID and the face matched. Took him over to the NCO club and told him it would take a while to get everything I needed, told the steward, “He has the Congressional Medal of Honor, give him whatever he wants, if he wants meat send someone over to the officer's club to get him a filet mignon, I'll pay.”
Then I called Marine Corps personnel at the Pentagon. Totally unauthorized but I was well past the point of caring about rules and regulations. Got crap from some night duty gunnery sergeant. Called the night duty officer and carefully explained to him who I was, what the situation was, what I expected him to do instantly and then I told him that I could get the Marine Corp commandant's home phone number if he did not move soonest.
Went over to check on the Marine. He'd eaten but didn't want a drink. I took him over to the Red Cross and whispered to one of the girls what medal he held.
Called back the night duty officer and confirmed the guy held it. I asked what the Marines paid extra for a holder and he didn't know, so I went over to headquarters and found the regulations that the army had for a army holder of the medal. Then I typed up an army pay voucher and included all of the months of back pay that he had not been paid. Got a senior warrant officer to sign it. Put a note with it explaining who I was and why I had paid what I had, put the spare copy in his pay file and filled out the payment section, noting that I might have underpaid the Marine.
Got the Marine from the Red Cross girls and took and showed him where the post office was if he wanted to buy money orders and where the bank was if he wanted to start an account.
Took him back over to the unit cashier section and took him to the head of the line. Just shushed the grumble of complaints. He got paid, something like $2500 to $3500. When he signed the pay form, I had to hold it against the wall and he wrote from the shoulder, his arm was so screwed up.
When he finished, I called everyone to attention and right faced them and ordered a salute. He was embarrassed. I said, it's been a pleasure helping you, sir. He sorta gave a salute with that bad arm.
When he hit the street, he had that Marine Corp strut, bad leg and all. He was proud.
I turned back to everyone and ordered at ease. Then I said, “He holds the Congressional Medal of Honor, he will always go to the head of the line and he will always take the salute. He's a Marine. He got his medal the hard way. He's a hero.” Then they all cheered.
I never knew until now why he had not been paid the CMOH extra.
I never knew if he was AWOL or a deserter or why he was there. I would have paid him anyway and I would have saluted him.
Great story Joe. . .Thanks for it all, “the service”, “The Service”, and sharing it. . .
That was the best read I've had in a long long time, brother.
Thanks, Joe; and God bless you.
You fully deserve a drink, a filet mignon (on me) for your selfless deed to a deserving Marine.
And thank you for your service to our nation. You should have heard that then, but you didn't.
May that never happen again to any American in uniform. Freakin' liberals.
Joeinhell: from one to another, thanks for the memories of the swamp. Very few can carry the ring of truth cause they were never where they said they were. Perfect portrayal, esp w night gunnery blowhard. Like we say, no real soldier tells his story; he tells the stories of others.
S.fi, man.
Ordinarysparrow:
“Dorian i hope you don't mind me posting this…”
Not at all. Thank you
It is refreshing to see so much interest in a subject that should be so near to our hearts–the bravery and sacrifice of our service men and women.
It is also refreshing–gratifying–to see a thread of comments that is not replete with political “gotcha's,” one-upmanship, and snide remarks.
Thank you all, and especially thank you joeinhell
Dorian de Wind
P.S. I am purposedly ignoring one short remark at the end of one comment because I know that was not meant to break the spirit of this thread on which the same person earlier said “Tidbits is correct – politics is set aside”
More to your question on “upgrading” awards.
I just happened to read that under revisions being considered by Congress as to how Medals of Honor are awarded, Rep. Duncan D. Hunter, R-Calif., who served two tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan, is proposing that in some cases, a panel of 10 or so people who have received the Medal of Honor would look at citations and recommend an ‘up-award,’ such as taking a Navy Cross and making it a Medal of Honor”
I'll be writing more on this in the next couple of days
Dorian
My brother was a Company Commander in that Division, not during the current War, my brother retired after Desert Storm. I know how good and how dedicated that unit is having visited their base and talked to the soldiers in it. It does not surprise me that one of those men earned this Honor, it would have surprised me if one of them had not.
Thank you for sharing about your brother, and thanks to him for his Service
Dorian
Its appreciated.
Here is a funny story, kinda sad actually, about my brother who I'm fiercly proud of. He was part of the first group of 3,000 soldiers who went into Iraq during desert storm to scout and gather intelligence on the Iraq border. His unit found themselves in a mine field under fire and one 19 or 19 year old kid stepped on a “toe popper” designed to disable soldiers. My brother threw caution aside and moved up to the kid under fire put the kid over his bad and carried him to safety. The army decorated him for this, but he really didn't care about decorations and he never got the one thing that he really wanted for his act, a simple “Thank You” from the soldier he rescued. He never heard from that soldier again.
So whenever I mention my brother's service and someone says to thank him for it, I relay it to my brother, of course he acts embarrassed by it, but I think it helps fill that hole from the missing “Thank You”.
Again, thanks, Leonidas.
“he really didn't care about decorations….So whenever I mention my brother's service and someone says to thank him for it, I relay it to my brother, of course he acts embarrassed by it…”
I think that's typical of real heroes and I believe an earlier comment by LionAsian might apply here:
“Like we say, no real soldier tells his story; he tells the stories of others.”
But thank you, for telling it
By the way, is he you “baby brother” or your “older” brother?
(Don't feel you have to answer this)
Dorian
My older brother.
Thanks,
Dorian