This evening, David Bellavia, with his wife and family at his side, was honored in a reception attended by top Army leaders, previous Medal of Honor winners, and many of the men he served with in Iraq.
For the combat veterans in Washington to witness Bellavia receiving the Medal of Honor, it is the first time they've been together as a group since Iraq. The greetings were those of brothers, with great warmth.
Top photo: David Bellavia speaking with Leroy Petry, who received the Medal of Honor for his actions in Afghanistan in 2008 during Operation Enduring Freedom. Also pictured on the right, Medal of Honor recipient Gary Beikirch, who is from Rochester.
David Bellavia receives a pin from Sherwood Goldberg, a civilian aide to the Secretary of the Army.
David Bellavia and former CNN correspondent Michael Ware. While a CNN journalist, Ware was embedded with Bellavia's unit in Fallujah and witnessed Bellavia's actions on Nov. 10, 2004.
