Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Emotional Wisconsin ties to Medal of Honor nominee


Family members of a Wisconsin soldier killed in Afghanistan believe that a member of his platoon may be on the verge of becoming the first living soldier to be awarded the Medal of Honor since the Vietnam War.

Army Staff Sgt. Salvatore Giunta, 24, (left) is credited with saving the lives of several fellow soldiers in a 2007 ambush that killed two, including Sgt. Joshua Brennan of McFarland.

Giunta charged the ambushers and prevented them from dragging the mortally wounded Brennan away, according to newspaper accounts and Brennan’s father, Michael Brennan of McFarland.

“Not only did he save Josh, so that we were able to have him back and have an open coffin at the funeral, he really saved half of the platoon,” said Brennan, a Madison police officer who has thanked Giunta and stayed in touch with other members of his son’s unit.

Read the story here.

In the photo at left, Mike Brennan of McFarland with a photo of his son, Sgt. Joshua Brennan, who was killed in a 2007 ambush in Afghanistan.