Recent Medal of Honor Recipient: Sgt. Dakota Meyer

Sgt. Dakota Meyer

Awarded for "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her life above and beyond the call of duty while engaged in an action against an enemy of the United States”

So to kick things off let’s look to recent news. Within the month, the 15th of September specifically, a Medal of Honor was awarded to Sergeant Dakota Meyer of the US Marine Corps. Well known as the highest honor a US serviceman can receive, the Medal of Honor has only seen one other recipient in our current war in Iraq and Afghanistan, Salvatore Giunta. Together, these men are the first living recipients of the citation since the Vietnam era.

Now it takes a special breed of man in an extraordinary situation to merit a Medal of Honor and by all accounts Sergeant Meyer is nothing but deserving of the recognition. Born in 1988 in Kentucky, Meyer joined the Marine Corp in 2006 after finishing high school. Three years later, acting as a Marine Scout Sniper in Kunar province, Afghanistan, Meyer’s team was caught in a well-planned ambush. Outside of the firefight kill-zone, Meyer himself was tending the trucks in relative safety and hoping US air and fire support would provide the necessary cover for his comrades to fall back out of harm’s way. With support, at least in the quantity needed, not available and casualties mounting, Meyer, with a fellow soldier, risked life and limb to aid his team. For six hours Meyer drove in and out of the kill-zone snatching up soldiers in dire situations. By the end of the engagement he had personally evacuated 12 fellow soldiers and allowed a further 24 Marines to slip away from certain death at the hands of an overwhelming Taliban force. While four of his fellow servicemen perished, Meyer had provided invaluable aid and ensured others would not share the same fate.

I’ll forgo any deep commentary this first week, but it goes without saying that regardless of your opinions on the war, and this next thought is a common one, support the troops that go beyond the call of duty to protect their fellow American and the innocent citizens of Afghanistan.

Also: Sgt. Meyer's website and charity & Letterman's "Late Night Show" Interview (starts @15:00 minutes)

Follow Sgt. Meyer on Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/Dakota_Meyer (@Dakota_Meyer)