Staff Sergeant Salvatore A. Giunta, a Medal of Honor recipient, spoke to Godley High School leadership students on May 7, 2024.

The first living recipient of the Medal of Honor - the United States' highest award for military valor in action - since the Vietnam War, Giunta spoke to the leadership team and then awarded graduation honor cords to the seniors.

An Iowa native, Giunta enlisted in the U.S. Army in November 2003.  He was awarded the Medal of Honor in 2010 for his actions during the War on Terrorism in Afghanistan.  In October 2007, Giunta “distinguished himself conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty in action with an armed enemy in the Korengal Valley.”  Then a specialist, he led his platoon’s successful defeat of an enemy ambush and recovered a fellow American soldier from the enemy.  The citation notes his “unwavering courage, selflessness, and decisive leadership while under extreme enemy fire.”