Leroy Petry
Leroy Arthur Petry (born July 29, 1979 in Santa Fe , New Mexico ) is a Sergeant First Class in the United States Army and the second living recipient of the Medal of Honor since the Vietnam War . Petry received the award for his actions during a combat mission in Paktya, Afghanistan , in May 2008.
Life
Leroy Petry is the son of Larry and Lorella Petry and has four brothers. He attended Santa Fe High School and graduated from New Mexico Highlands University in Las Vegas , New Mexico. He joined the US Army in September 1999 and has since spent a total of 28 months in various combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Petry is married and has four children.
Medal of Honor
In May 2008, Petry and his unit were on duty in Afghanistan to arrest a person of vital military importance in Paktya. During this mission his unit was attacked. He was injured in both legs by a projectile. In addition to Petry, five other soldiers , some of whom were wounded, were involved in the fighting with the enemy. When they threw two hand grenades at the soldiers in quick succession and one landed only a few meters away from Petry and his comrades, Petry and his comrades picked it up, despite his injury, to hurl them away and thus protect the lives of his comrades. The moment he let go of the grenade from his hand, it exploded and tore his right hand apart . His right arm had to be amputated from the elbow down. He has been wearing a prosthesis ever since .
The Medal of Honor was presented to Petry by President Obama on July 12, 2011 during a ceremony at the White House . After Salvatore Giunta , Petry is only the second living recipient of this award since the Vietnam War.
Following this award, Petry was asked to appear on talk shows and other gatherings, starting with Good Morning America. In his spare time, he remained physically active. He has learned to play golf, hunt, water-ski and drive all-terrain vehicles with his prosthetic hand.
In 2010, Petry rejoined the US Army for a permanent service. He was stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, where he served as the liaison officer for the Care Coalition Northwest Region of the United States Special Operations Command. He helped sick and injured rangers and their families. In 2011, Petry also began attending Pierce College for a Bachelor of Science degree in business management.
Despite seeking 20 years of active service due to medical and "psychological problems", Petry decided to apply for medical retirement. In June 2014, Petry received a home from George Strait on behalf of a charity in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. On July 23, 2014, Petry was promoted to Master Sergeant and received the Legion of Merit during his retirement ceremony. He was accepted into the Order of Honor of Saint Maurice. After almost 15 years of service, he officially retired from the US Army on July 29, 2014.
Awards
In addition to the Medal of Honor, Petry received the following other honors:
- Bronze star
- Purple heart
- Army Commendation Medal
- Army Achievement Medal
Individual evidence
- ↑ cf. ADVISORY: President Obama to Award Medal of Honor at www.whitehouse.gov, May 31, 2011 (accessed July 13, 2011)
- ↑ cf. Wounded Soldier to receive Medal of Honor for action in Afghanistan at www.army.mil, May 31, 2011 (accessed July 13, 2011)
- ↑ cf. Medal of Honor recipient a hero to his family, too ( Memento of the original from June 4, 2011 on WebCite ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. at www.lcsun-news.com, April 6, 2011 (accessed on July 13, 2011)
Web links
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Petry, Leroy |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Petry, Leroy Arthur (full name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American Sergeant First Class of the United States Army |
| DATE OF BIRTH | July 29, 1979 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Santa Fe , New Mexico |