Meeting Medal of Honor heroes was our great honor

By Michelle Andia, Tawhid Jahangir, Mikayla Krisanda, Laura Marquez, Finnegan McCormack, Ryan Shearer, and Daniel Zhivkovich

GETTYSBURG, PA — Anyone who has ever been to Gettysburg knows how that battle changed American history. They must also know how powerful it is to stand on hallowed ground where so many brave soldiers gave their lives.

We had the honor to cover the 150th anniversary of the Medal of Honor along with the 150th Anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg this Sept. 19 and 20. Did you know that the very first Congressional Medals of Honor were awarded at Gettysburg?

As reporters with DVE-News/TV, we left our school at 6 a.m. on Sept. 19 for a two-day journey that we will never forget. We met some of our country’s greatest living heroes who were in Gettysburg for this convention. As fifth -grade television and newspaper journalists, we made the most unbelievable connections with heroes who shared their stories and passion about their country. It was easy for us to see that their love of America never faded, even when times were beyond horrifyingly tough for them.

Many of the medal recipients shared their thoughts on such things as how they felt when their medal was presented, who presented it, if they would put themselves back in these positions, if they would join the service again, and the fact that they do not consider themselves heroes — but just normal people doing their jobs.

Here is a little about some of the people we met:

Colonel Roger H.C. Donlon was severely injured when his base came under attack on July 6, 1964 in Vietnam. The colonel exposed himself to enemy fire as he moved around the compound directing American defense and stopping a huge enemy army from getting in the main gate. Despite being seriously wounded, he rescued and dragged many wounded comrades to safety. He was hit by a mortar shell and wounded in the face and body. Still he led his unit and helped the wounded. He said these actions were instinctive and simply what anyone would have done.

“What we are is God’s gift to us, and what we become is our gift to God,” Donlon told us. “Always go forward, not back — and try your best to make things better while you are here.”

Army Staff Sergeant Salvatore A. Giunta said it is an awesome responsibility to wear his medal and represent his country and the brave soldiers he served with.

“It’s not about going to war, it’s about defending against the enemy," he said. "I am not a hero. I just did what I did because that‘s what all my fellow soldiers were doing. I don’t want to let anyone down who has given everything for me. My first thought was about my boys.”

Giunta received his medal on Nov. 16, 2010, for his actions in Korengal Valley, Afghanistan. Navigating through harsh conditions alongside his team, he was ambushed by enemy forces. Seeing that his squad leader had fallen, and observing the enemy carrying away a fellow American soldier, he took action to get his comrade back. He then provided medical aid until his squad caught up.

Marine 1st Lt. Harvey C. “Barney” Barnum Jr. was pinned down by enemy fire in the Vietnam War, and found himself next in command when his superiors were killed.

“I am the custodian of my medal," he said. "We don’t want to go and die for our country, we want to go and make the enemy die for their country. I did not plan my actions, they just happened. The shooting had started and I dove for cover. When I looked around on the battlefield, I realized my commander had taken a bullet to the head. I knew when the ‘quarterback of my command’ was laying there, and our radioman was down, it was up to me to do something. I realized I was next in command, and it was then that I realized what I had to do. I went to retrieve my commander, got him back to safety, exchanged words briefly, and he died in my arms. I then went to get the radio from our fallen radioman and called for help. I am the custodian of my medal because of people like these, and I wear it every day for those people.”

Barney told us that he holds the medal whenever he has to make major decisions in his life. He then tries to think of what those two buddies would think of his choice.

“Sometimes I don’t go with decisions because of that," he said. "They just don’t feel right."

Staff Sergeant Clinton L. Romesha was awarded for heroic actions he took in Afghanistan. Awakened by enemy fighters, Sergeant Romesha ignored his own wounds to destroy enemy targets, including three Taliban fighters who had gotten into his unit’s outpost. He then led a five-man team to recover bodies of fallen American soldiers who were being taken away by the enemy.

“I only received scratches compared to others, he said. "And there is something different going on these days with the enemy trying to take away deceased soldiers. This is something we as American soldiers will never allow to happen. I had no choice but to spring into action when I observed what was happening. Nothing can replace a fighting soldier, not even today’s technologies. You’re not going to win a war without infantry and soldier’s feet on the ground, making firsthand decisions on the spot like this. The 300 did their job well, but we did ours better, with our counterattack ‘spot on.'"

Pfc. Clarence E. Sasser, although wounded himself, administered first aid to wounded comrades for many hours during a battle at Ding Tuong Province, Vietnam, on Jan. 10, 1968. During the first few minutes of the battle, there were over 30 casualties. Sasser, a medic in the Army, ran through an open rice paddy while under fire and was wounded in the shoulder. After getting two additional wounds that made him unable to move either leg and faint from loss of blood, he dragged himself, while in extreme agony, through mud to provide medical assistance to fellow wounded soldiers. He did this for more than five hours as they waited for evacuation help to arrive.

Like other medal recipients, this Army medic says he was simply doing his duty as an American soldier.

“I often see people proclaim their patriotism on their sleeve. I believe it thrives best when nurtured in their hearts and minds,” Sasser told us.

Army Staff Sergeant Kenneth E. Stumpf was shot at by machine guns while rescuing three wounded American soldiers in Vietnam. He could have lost his life, but bravely he only thought of getting these three soldiers to safety. He also helped his unit to win this battle by destroying a bunker where the enemy was attacking from.

Colonel Gordon Roberts was the last Vietnam War medal recipient to retire from service. He actually also served in Iraq in 2005, but it was his actions with the 101 Airborne in Vietnam on July 11, 1969 that brought about this Medal of Honor. Colonel Roberts stopped the enemy in four bunkers and then helped to evacuated a pinned-down wounded unit. Like others, he said his actions were spontaneous and without a second thought, simply because he was there and it was his duty to act when needed in that moment.

General Peter W. Chiarelli was presented with a special Patriot Award in Gettysburg. The general told us that even years after serving as a commander in Iraq, not a day goes by that he doesn't think of the 650 soldiers who were killed while under his command.

"I would trade all the medals and ribbons on my chest, and every bit of rank, to get just one back," he said.

Others we interviewed at this amazing convention were President Eisenhower’s granddaughter Susan Eisenhower, Fox News journalist Chris Wallace, Congressional Medal of Honor Society CEO Robert Monahan, Lockheed Martin sponsor David F. Wallace, many other reporters, and people who were at the convention to meet their heroes. We also had the chance to tour and walk through the battlefield, attend a top security luncheon at Eisenhower Farm, attend meetings at two colleges, swim in an outdoor heated pool, and stay overnight in a hotel room where President and First Lady Eisenhower stayed for three days in 1950.

This trip to Gettysburg and the people we met is something we will never forget. We thank the Medal of Honor Society for all of their help in getting us our credentials and to be part of their amazing program and events. We are the luckiest reporters ever!

Editor's note: Michelle Andia, Tawhid Jahangir, Mikayla Krisanda, Laura Marquez, Finnegan McCormack, Ryan Shearer, and Daniel Zhivkovich are DVE-News/TV Reporters.