Sal Giunta, of Hiawatha Post 735 Recieves the Congressional Medal of Honor

Sal Giunta, of Hiawatha, was the fourth member of the U.S. Armed Forces to receive the Medal of Honor for actions in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. A member of American Legion Post 735 in Hiawatha, he received the medal after stopping an enemy ambush and killing a high-value Taliban combatant who was trying to drag away one of Giunta’s fellow soldiers. After learning that he would be nominated, Giunta didn’t like being singled out. “If I’m a hero, every man that stands around me, every woman in the military, everyone who goes into the unknown is a hero.” He received the Medal of Honor on Nov. 16, 2010.