Medal of Honor

Press Release:

Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24) recently cosponsored H.R. 841, the Sergeant Gary Beikarch Medal of Honor Act. This legislation, named after Rochester native Gary Beikarch, guarantees that the widows of Medal of Honor recipients are eligible for the complete benefits earned by their spouses.

This bill was introduced in the House by Congressman Joe Morelle (D-NY). Additional co-sponsors include Reps. Gwen Moore (D-WI) and Andre Carson (D-IN). 

Currently, spouses of Medal of Honor (MOH) recipients face a limitation where they can only receive either the MOH pension or the Dependent Indemnity Compensation (DIC), but not both. This provision not only deprives military families of their rightful benefits but also adds to their financial burdens, adding to the already challenging emotional circumstances they face. This legislation seeks to amend the current law, enabling surviving spouses of MOH recipients to receive all the benefits they qualify for without being forced to choose between the two options.

“America’s Medal of Honor Recipients, and their families, have put so much on the line to defend our great Nation and safeguard our freedoms,” said Congresswoman Claudia Tenney. “It is only right that we ensure their surviving families receive the benefits they have earned and fully deserve. I am inspired by the Beikirch family's dedication to this issue and thank them for working to support surviving spouses nationwide. I am honored to join Congressman Morelle in this fight to get this legislation across the finish line and ensure our Medal of Honor spouses receive the benefits they deserve.”

“Medal of Honor recipients are among the most selfless, courageous, and heroic men and women who serve our armed forces,” said Congressman Joe Morelle. “We have a duty to honor their profound service and sacrifice by ensuring their families receive the full benefits they deserve. I am deeply grateful to the Beikirch family for bringing this issue to my attention—it is my hope that this legislation will right a longstanding wrong and bring peace of mind to surviving spouses across the country. I look forward to working with Congresswoman Tenney and our colleagues to swiftly pass it into law.”

“Speaking personally from the perspective of my family we are so grateful for Congresswoman Claudia Tenney joining to work alongside Congressman Joe Morelle in making this a bipartisan effort in moving this bill along. This important piece of legislation needs to be passed not only because it is a benefit that my father more than earned but also because it will give us the peace of mind that my mother will be cared for in the way my father would have wanted. 

My mother's care was his top priority in his last days and the entire Beikirch family thanks Congressman Morelle and Congresswoman Tenney for advocating to right this wrong not only for us but all future Medal of Honor recipients' spouses to come. The families of our best and bravest should not have to choose between two benefits that were so courageously earned and my father would be honored to have his name on a piece of legislation that protects not only his but also other Medal of Honor recipient's families that are left behind,” said Stephanie Beikirch, daughter of Sgt. Gary Beikirch.

“I would like to thank Congressman Morelle and Congresswoman Tenney for their time and attention on this bill. The absolute last people in the country who should be struggling to keep their homes are the widows of our Medal of Honor Recipients. Gary Beikirch was a mentor and father figure to me and his only concern before he died, probably the only thing he ever asked for in his entire adult life was that his family be cared for after he’s gone. That’s a small price to thank someone who has given everything for this country. I hope this bill moves quickly so that relief can be provided to these deserving widows,” said Monroe County Veterans Services Director Nick Stefanovic. 

Read the full text of the bill here.

The City of Niagara Falls is honoring David Bellavia at 3 p.m. Saturday with a Key to the City and Bellavia will deliver a talk, "Duty 1st with David Bellavia: Serving Country and Community."

Duty 1st is offering 50 percent off on tickets for this event to readers of The Batavian. Use this link to purchase the discounted tickets.

Press release:

The public is invited to "Duty 1st with David Bellavia: Serving Country and Community," a 3 p.m. talk by the Medal of Honor recipient, who will be honored by the Niagara Falls community with a Key to the City. In addition, there will be a full speaking engagement and meet-and-greet.

Since getting the Medal of Honor, Bellavia has had the honor to talk to audiences from children to World War II veterans all around the Country -- he’s talked about patriotism, and service above self and shared laughs and tears with folks along the way. Now, he will finally get to deliver a talk for his friends and neighbors, hosted by the Rapid Theatre in Niagara Falls -- where half the event will be a sit-down Q&A with the audience.

The Oct. 12 event will also serve as a kick-off for a new nonprofit organization created by Bellavia, called Deuce Deuce Relief Fund Inc., which will benefit soldiers from Bellavia's prior Task Force in Iraq (Task Force 2-2).

General admission tickets are $22 (Deuce-Deuce) at the door – but Batavian readers can get a 50-percent off discount right now by preregistering using promo code Batavian. There are also publicly available deep discounts for military, whether active or VET/retired (75-percent off), and Gold Star families (free) – available at checkout, with no code required.

Tickets are available at DavidBellavia.com or on EventBrite.com – but here’s the custom link with embedded discount code: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/duty-1st-with-david-bellavia-serving-country-and-community-tickets-72099291923?discount=Batavian. If there are any issues, just enter discount code: Batavian.

Staff Sgt. Bellavia also will sign copies of his book "House to House: A Soldier's Memoir," which will be for sale onsite during this event at the Rapids Theatre, 1711 Main St., Niagara Falls.

Prior video coverage of David Bellavia's Medal of Honor:

David Bellavia visited the Holland Land Office Museum on Wednesday at the request of The Batavian for an exclusive interview to discuss his experience in Washington the week he received the Medal of Honor on June 25 in a ceremony at the White House and was inducted into the Hall of Heroes at the Pentagon.

In the interview, we discuss not only his Medal of Honor, but the Medal of Honor received by Charles F. Rand, a Batavia resident often credited with being the first to enlist in the Army as a volunteer at the start of the Civil War. We discussed the "bubble" Bellavia was in during his time in Washington; the time he spent with the men he went to war with in Iraq;the men who didn't come home, most notably Capt. Sean Sims; what it was like on stage in the East Room during the Medal of Honor ceremony; the rush of people around him during the reception after the ceremony; what it means to represent the Army as a Medal of Honor recipient; and why he wanted to be sure to include in the events his friends from Western New York, especially the GLOW counties. Now that he's personally met President Donald Trump, we also asked for his measure of the man. And finally, we discussed his childrens' reaction, especially his sons, to the award.

NOTE AND POSSIBLE CORRECTION:  We have been referring to David Bellavia and Charles Rand, including in this video, as the only two Batavia residents to receive the Medal of Honor. We knew about James E. Cross but the history on Cross, as passed along to us, has been that he was born in Darien and enlisted in Batavia. County Clerk Michael Cianfrini wrote yesterday to suggest that Cross was a resident of Batavia. This morning I did a quick search on ancestry.com and it appears Cross was a resident of Batavia during the 1860 and 1870 censuses. It appears that he enlisted in Elmira. He was discharged with a disability in 1862 and was awarded the Medal of Honor in 1898. We'll see if we can find out more.

Today, The Batavian conducted an exclusive interview with Medal of Honor recipient David Bellavia at the Holland Land Office Museum.

This photo shows the first time the medal awarded to Bellavia and the medal awarded to Charles F. Rand are in the same room together. Bellavia and Rand are the only two Batavians to have received the Medal of Honor.

Our interview today with Bellavia focused on his experience in Washington, D.C., last month when he received the Medal of Honor from President Donald Trump. David and I discuss some of the observations and insights Bellavia has not discussed yet in other interviews.  

Below, a video we did previously about Charles Rand and our video covering Bellavia's Medal of Honor Week, in case you haven't seen it yet, to prep you for the video interview. I hope to have that edited and later to post tonight sometime, or in the morning, at least.

UPDATE 5:30 p.m.: When I posted this, I wasn't thinking about the fact that we have the opening of Batavia Downs tonight. Covering that will greatly delay my ability to finish this video. 

Reader Paula Zack describes herself as an amateur photographer but she did a good job yesterday of capturing in still photos the program yesterday of David Bellavia receiving the Key to the City. We wanted to share them with you.

In a short ceremony at City Hall, Medal of Honor recipient David Bellavia received the Key to the City from Batavia City Council President Eugene Jankowski.

Following the ceremony, Bellavia met and spoke with every single person who came to the ceremony and stayed for the chance to meet him, shake his hand, take a selfie, and even hold his Medal of Honor.

Following the event, Bellavia participated in a short press conference inside City Hall. That video is below.

Press release:

My trip to Washington, D.C., to witness David Bellavia receiving the Medal of Honor and be inducted into the Hall of Heroes at the Pentagon is the highlight of my journalism career.

Yes, it was a great experience to visit the White House (I'll answer the question many people have asked, "Did you meet the president?" No.) and the Pentagon, and it was an honor to see Bellavia receive the Medal of Honor. But in going to these events, what I didn't expect was how meaningful it would be to meet the men who served with Bellavia in Fallujah, Iraq. I got to see firsthand their love for each other and hear their stories and speak to several of them individually.

It was a special honor and pleasure to meet and speak with Colin Fitts, Maj. Joaquin Meno, and Sgt. John Bandy.

On Tuesday night, I was able to attend a party at a private residence in D.C. with the men of Bellavia's platoon. I was there when Meno made a toast to their fallen comrades. And though I took no pictures, made no recording, it's a moment I'll never forget.  

One of the highlights of the trip -- and there many -- was hanging out with Michael Ware, a legendary combat journalist. We spent a lot of time together and he helped me with my coverage. My interview with him figures prominently in this video.

I hope the video gives you a good sense of what took place in Washington over four days and provides you with a better sense of what happened in Fallujah on Nov. 10, 2004. The video doesn't just cover the main events -- the Medal of Honor ceremony and Hall of Heroes ceremony -- both of which were open to the press; but also the events I attended as a guest of David's while other media were excluded, primarily the reception in the ballroom of the hotel on Monday night and the reception in the White House after the Medal of Honor ceremony.

This is a complete photo gallery from my attendance of events and ceremonies in Washington, D.C., this week for David Bellavia receiving the Medal of Honor. Some of these photos come from events that no other photojournalist attended.

On Monday, Rep. Chris Collins gave a short floor speech in the U.S. House of Representatives recognizing and honoring David Bellavia on receiving the Medal of Honor. The Batavian asked for and received a video copy of the speech to share with our readers.

Also, Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul, who once represented our area in Congress and knows David as a result, issued the following statement on Twitter:  p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d; min-height: 16.0px}

All of New York is proud of the courageous actions of WNY native Staff Sgt. David Bellavia while under fire.

 

His actions saved lives and his Medal of Honor is well deserved.

David Bellavia, the 43-year-old Batavia resident who yesterday received the Medal of Honor from President Donald Trump in a ceremony at the White House, today was inducted to the Hall of Heroes at the Pentagon.

This video is an edited version of a video of the ceremony produced by Department of Defense to provide the highlights of the induction and Bellavia's induction speech.

To view the full DoD recording of the ceremony, click here.

Story by Dylan Smith, editor and publisher of the Tucson Sentinel.
Photos by Howard Owens.

David Bellavia, a Batavia resident, on Tuesday, became the first living veteran of the Iraq War to receive the Medal of Honor, as President Donald Trump presented the award in a ceremony at the White House.

Trump said it was his "privilege to award the highest military honor to an American soldier who demonstrated exceptional courage to protect his men and defend our nation."

Bellavia was recognized for his valor in the Second Battle of Fallujah, a nearly two-month urban combat offensive in late 2004, in which more than 10,000 U.S. troops struggled to gain control of a dense city that had held some 350,000 people, but was then populated mostly by 3-4,000 heavily fortified insurgent forces.

Bellavia, now 43 years old, was a U.S. Army staff sergeant during that battle. On his 29th birthday, Nov. 10, 2004, his platoon was clearing a block of a dozen buildings that were occupied by Iraqi insurgents who were firing at U.S. troops.

"For three days straight, David and his men kicked down doors, searched houses, and destroyed enemy weapons, never knowing where they would find a terrorist lurking next. And there were plenty of them," Trump told a packed White House ceremony.

In presenting the nation's top military honor, Trump noted Bellavia's "extraordinary courage... selfless service... and carrying on the legacy of American valor."

During a house-to-house search, the soldiers of Company A, Task Force 2-2, 1st Infantry Division, encountered fierce resistance — a not unfamiliar situation for his unit; 37 people from his brigade died that year.

"A very dangerous operation," Trump said Tuesday. "They entered house after house, and secured nine of the buildings. Then came the 10th. That was a tough one. It was a three-story building surrounded by a nine-foot wall. As they entered the house and moved into the living room, two men were behind concrete barricades. They opened fire on David and everybody."

"In the dark of night, shards of glass, brick, and plaster flew into the air, wounding multiple soldiers. The rounds of fire ripped holes into the wall separating the Americans from the terrorists. The wall was ripped to shreds. David knew they had to get out. David thought that they had had it. He leaped into the torrent of bullets and fired back at the enemy without even thinking," the president said.

"He provided suppressive fire while his men evacuated, rescuing his entire squad at the risk of his own life. Only when his men were all out did David exit the building."

From the citation for Bellavia's Silver Star:

At this point, Sergeant Bellavia, armed with an M249 SAW gun, entered the room where the insurgents were located and sprayed the room with gunfire, forcing the jihadists to take cover and allowing the squad to move out into the street. Jihadists on the roof began firing at the squad, forcing them to take cover in a nearby building. Sergeant Bellavia then went back to the street and called in a Bradley Fighting Vehicle to shell the houses.

After this was done, he decided to reenter the building to determine whether the enemy fighters were still active. Seeing a jihadist loading an RPG launcher, Sergeant Bellavia gunned him down.

A second jihadist began firing as the soldier ran toward the kitchen and Bellavia fired back, wounding him in the shoulder. A third jihadist began yelling from the second floor. Sergeant Bellavia then entered the uncleared master bedroom and emptied gunfire into all the corners, at which point the wounded insurgent entered the room, yelling and firing his weapon.

Sergeant Bellavia fired back, killing the man. Sergeant Bellavia then came under fire from the insurgent upstairs and the staff sergeant returned the fire, killing the man.

At that point, a jihadist hiding in a wardrobe in a bedroom jumped out, firing wildly around the room and knocking over the wardrobe. As the man leaped over the bed he tripped and Sergeant Bellavia shot him several times, wounding but not killing him.

Another insurgent was yelling from upstairs, and the wounded jihadist escaped the bedroom and ran upstairs. Sergeant Bellavia pursued but slipped on the blood-soaked stairs. The wounded insurgent fired at him but missed. He followed the bloody tracks up the stairs to a room to the left. Hearing the wounded insurgent inside, he threw a fragmentary grenade into the room, sending the wounded jihadist onto the roof.

The insurgent fired his weapon in all directions until he ran out of ammunition. He then started back into the bedroom, which was rapidly filling with smoke. Hearing two other insurgents screaming from the third story of the building, Sergeant Bellavia put a choke hold on the wounded insurgent to keep him from giving away their position. The wounded jihadist then bit Sergeant Bellavia on the arm and smacked him in the face with the butt of his AK-47.

In the wild scuffle that followed, Sergeant Bellavia took out his knife and slit the jihadist's throat. Two other insurgents who were trying to come to their comrade's rescue fired at Bellavia, but he had slipped out of the room, which was now full of smoke and fire. Without warning, another insurgent dropped from the third story to the second-story roof.

Sergeant Bellavia fired at him, hitting him in the back and the legs and causing him to fall off the roof, dead. At this point, five members of 3rd Platoon entered the house and took control of the first floor. Before they would finish off the remaining jihadists, however, they were ordered to move out of the area because close air support had been called in by a nearby unit.

"Alone, in the dark, David killed four insurgents and seriously wounded the fifth, saving his soldiers and facing down the enemies of civilization," President Trump said at Tuesday's ceremony.

"Here with us today are 32 American service members who fought with David in Iraq, including 12 who were with David on that very, very horrible and dangerous November night."

Also present were eight previous recipients of the Medal of Honor, and five Gold Star families — relatives of Bellavia's brothers in arms who were killed in combat.

Bellavia was born in Albion and lives in Batavia. His father William died last year. His grandfather, Joseph Brunacini, age 99, was awarded a Bronze Star for his actions during the Normandy campaign in World War II, and was watching Tuesday's ceremony via video at his home in Jamestown, N.Y.

"America is blessed with the heroes and great people like Staff Sergeant Bellavia whose intrepid spirit and unwavering resolve defeats our enemies, protects our freedoms, and defends our great American flag," Trump said. "David, today we honor your extraordinary courage, we salute your selfless service, and we thank you for carrying on the legacy of American valor that has always made our blessed nation the strongest and mightiest anywhere in the world."

Medal of Honor citation:

The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, March 3rd, 1863, has awarded in the name of Congress the Medal of Honor to Staff Sergeant David G. Bellavia, United States Army, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty.

Staff Sergeant David G. Bellavia distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty on November 10, 2004, while serving as squad leader in support of Operation Phantom Fury in Fallujah, Iraq.

While clearing a house, a squad from Staff Sergeant Bellavia’s platoon became trapped within a room by intense enemy fire coming from a fortified position under the stairs leading to the second floor. Recognizing the immediate severity of the situation, and with disregard for his own safety, Staff Sergeant Bellavia retrieved an automatic weapon and entered the doorway of the house to engage the insurgents.

With enemy rounds impacting around him, Staff Sergeant Bellavia fired at the enemy position at a cyclic rate, providing covering fire that allowed the squad to break contact and exit the house.

A Bradley Fighting Vehicle was brought forward to suppress the enemy; however, due to high walls surrounding the house, it could not fire directly at the enemy position. Staff Sergeant Bellavia then reentered the house and again came under intense enemy fire. He observed an enemy insurgent preparing to launch a rocket-propelled grenade at his platoon. Recognizing the grave danger the grenade posed to his fellow soldiers, Staff Sergeant Bellavia assaulted the enemy position, killing one insurgent and wounding another who ran to a different part of the house.

Staff Sergeant Bellavia, realizing he had an uncleared, darkened room to his back, moved to clear it. As he entered, an insurgent came down the stairs firing at him. Simultaneously, the previously wounded insurgent reemerged and engaged Staff Sergeant Bellavia. Staff Sergeant Bellavia, entering further into the darkened room, returned fire and eliminated both insurgents. Staff Sergeant Bellavia then received enemy fire from another insurgent emerging from a closet in the darkened room.

Exchanging gunfire, Staff Sergeant Bellavia pursued the enemy up the stairs and eliminated him. Now on the second floor, Staff Sergeant Bellavia moved to a door that opened onto the roof. At this point, a fifth insurgent leaped from the third-floor roof onto the second-floor roof. Staff Sergeant Bellavia engaged the insurgent through a window, wounding him in the back and legs, and caused him to fall off the roof.

Acting on instinct to save the members of his platoon from an imminent threat, Staff Sergeant Bellavia ultimately cleared an entire enemy-filled house, destroyed four insurgents, and badly wounded a fifth. Staff Sergeant Bellavia’s bravery, complete disregard for his own safety, and unselfish and courageous actions are in keeping with the finest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself and the United States Army.

Bellavia, who has hosted a local radio talk show and run for office as a Republican, is the author of "House to House," which recounts his experiences in the Fallujah battle.

He left the Army in 2005, after six years of service. During his yearlong deployment in Iraq, his unit took part in the battles of Najaf, Mosul, Baqubah and Muqdadiyah, as well as the fight for Fallujah.

"Listen, you know I'm not going to pretend to write -- the narrative of the Iraq war is well established -- but the Iraq veteran has nothing to apologize for. The Iraq veteran has served with the same, in the finest traditions of any other generation at war," Bellavia said in an interview with The Batavian earlier this month.

"I can't tell you that looking back and seeing how a lot of people tend to look at the valor of a generation and say well are these good wars or bad wars. Iraq veterans are walking around with chips on their shoulder because they're regarded as part of the bad war, the war of choice, the war that was based on bad intelligence, and you know we're free to think and decide whatever you want," said Bellavia, who co-founded the advocacy group Vets for Freedom after he left the military.

"I think the narrative is written on that. But I would just caution us to not make the veteran feel the weight of that. I don't think it's their responsibility. Ninety-nine percent of these men and women served with honor and distinction and we really shouldn't have to apologize for where our nation sends us to fight."

"You know, I never saw the enemy as people. I think, now, when I have, when you have children, you think you know, obviously, you want your guys, America, the good guys, to be OK. But I also think back to, I don't want the enemy's children to take the road that their dads took. I don't want my kids to be fighting in conflicts with another generation," he said.

"What are the things that we can do, especially when it comes to acknowledging that a lot of people think that war guys, veteran guys are pro-war, that we love this. You know, we're pretty anti-war. I mean, I don't know of any veteran that you've talked to that is like, 'this is the greatest thing in the world,' " he said.

"We're violently anti-war but with the goal, the end state is that we won't do this anymore. I mean, if you would've told me that I would join the Army because my sons and daughter would also get to have this experience, I never would have done it. It's not worth it. You fight so that it stops here and it doesn't continue. And it would be heartbreaking to know that this is going to go on for another 25 years."

Bellavia's awards and decorations include: the Medal of Honor; Silver Star; Bronze Star; Army Commendation Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster; Army Achievement Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster; Army Good Conduct Medal with Bronze Clasp and two Loops; the National Defense Service Medal; Kosovo Campaign Medal with Bronze Service Star; New York State’s Conspicuous Service Cross; the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal; the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; the Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon with Numeral "2"; the Army Service Ribbon; Overseas Service Ribbon with Numeral "2"; the Presidential Unit Citation; Combat Infantryman Badge; Driver and Mechanics Badge; and the NATO Medal.

PUBLISHER'S NOTE: Dylan Smith is one of my local online news publishing colleagues. He knew how busy I have been in Washington, D.C., that he volunteered -- without being asked -- and wrote this story for The Batavian.

Top photo: David Bellavia's son, Aiden, examines the Medal of Honor around his father's neck during a reception at the White House following the awards ceremony.

Bellavia and Michael Ware.

David Bellavia and longtime friend Michael Caputo.

Congressman Chris Collins chatting with Michael Caputo.

Michelle McCulloch, in the white dress, who is from Wyoming County, and her daughters and son-in-law.

Sgt. John Badger takes a selfie with David Bellavia.

Kelly Ann Conway chats with Medal of Honor recipient James McCloughan.

David Bellavia and Gen. Ken Chrosniak (retired).

Col. Douglas Walter, Bellavia's second commander in Fallujah, takes a photo in the White House for some fellow guests.

At the end of the reception, the buffet room was cleared of all guests and David finally had a chance to grab a bite to eat.

Maj. Joaquin Meno, who was a lieutenant in Iraq, and commander of Bellavia's platoon.

Military photographer Sgt. Kevin Roy with Bellavia. Roy has arguably been the hardest working man tasked to Medal of Honor support over these four days of ceremonies, events, and tours. His job has been to be at Bellavia's side constantly, taking hundreds of photos all day and then returning to his computer to process the photos before going bed every night.

Sgt. John Bandy examines Bellavia's Medal of Honor after Bellavia and his guest returned to the hotel.

Sgt. Jonathan Gibson salutes David Bellavia.

Lincoln's bust in the White House.

Medal of Honor recipient Army Staff Sgt. David Bellavia, right, shakes hands with another Medal of Honor recipient, Ret. Col. Walter Joseph Marm Jr. They are at a post-ceremony reception at the White House.

"Joe" Marm served in the Army from 1965 to 1995. On Dec. 19, 1966, he was given the Medal of Honor for his actions in the Battle of la Drang on Nov. 14, 1965 during the Vietnam War.

At the time, he was a second lieutenant and platoon leader of the 2nd Platoon, A Company, 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Calvary Division (Airmobile). He is credited with single-handedly destroying an enemy machine gun position and several of its defenders, suffering severe wounds in the process.

For more information about Joe Marm, click here and here.

Here's a video of the just-concluded Medal of Honor ceremony at the White House for Staff Sgt. David G. Bellavia.

This morning David Bellavia, who will be awarded the Medal Honor in White House ceremony this afternoon, was given a guided tour of the Lincoln Memorial. The tour included access not typically provided to tourists, including a climb up several narrow flights of stairs to the rooftop.

When Bellavia arrived at the monument, Rochester newsman and author Bob Lonsberry (in Army T-shirt) asked to have his picture taken with him.

David Bellavia talking with Congressman Duncan Hunter, a former Marine who also fought in Fallujah. Hunter represents a district that covers the eastern part of San Diego County, including El Cajon (my former hometown).

Assemblyman David DiPietro, one of Bellavia's guests for the ceremony, takes a photo of the Washington Monument.

Evan and David Bellavia.

DiPietro and Michael Caputo.

Bellavia with a pockmark in one of the walls on the roof of the monument. During World War II a 50mm gunner thought he saw something suspicious at the Lincoln Memorial and fired a single shot.

Secretary of Interior David Bernhardt, Bellavia, and Hunter.

Bellavia talking with Bernhardt.

Bellavia and Hunter.

Bellavia with some of the men he served with: Lucas "Doc" Abernathy, Salam Ulzuhairi, Chuck Knapp, Bellavia, and Joe Swanson. Ulzuhairi was the translator for Bellavia's unit in Iraq. He recently became a U.S. citizen.

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.

Colin Fitts, a retired sergeant first class, says he is alive because of David Bellavia, the Batavia resident who will receive the Medal of Honor tomorrow in a ceremony at the White House.

On Nov. 10, 2004, Fitts and Bellavia and their men walked into an ambush in a house in Fallujah. Five insurgents had barricaded themselves in the house and didn't reveal their positions until after the platoon had entered. The platoon couldn't exit the house without exposing themselves to hostile fire. Bellavia commenced suppression fire allowing the men to escape.

Later, Bellavia reentered the house to try and finish the job because his men were still exposed to hostile fire from the insurgents in the house while they were on the street and single-handedly killed all of the insurgents in the house.

David Bellavia

Col. Douglas R. Walter, who was a company commander in Iraq and nominated Bellavia for the Medal of Honor in 2005, along with Maj. Joaquin Meno, who was a lieutenant in Bellavia's unit in Iraq, and Bellavia.

Michael Ware, a journalist embedded Bellavia's unit, discusses what he witnessed Nov. 10, 2004. Ware entered the house with Bellavia and attempted to film the ensuing battle. Because he didn't have night vision goggles, he lost contact with David and when the house fell silent, Ware exited and said he had lost contact with "Sgt. Bell." Men from Bellavia's unit entered the house and by the time they located Bellavia he had already killed all of the insurgents in the house.

We'll have video from the press conference, along with interviews wiht Walter, Meno, and Fitts later.

Press release:

Coinciding with the 244^th Anniversary of the United State Army, Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) had the privilege of unanimously passing an Assembly Resolution Thursday in Albany honoring Staff Sergeant David Bellavia for receiving the Medal of Honor. The honor will be presented to him by President Trump on June 25.

Staff Sgt. Bellavia, who was born in Albion and lives in Batavia, will become the first living Iraq War veteran to receive the Medal of Honor after bravely rescuing his entire squad who had become trapped during the Battle of Fallujah. He then proceeded to engage the enemy, killing four and wounding a fifth, which ultimately led to the safety of three squads of the Third Platoon.

“Staff Sgt. David Bellavia is a true example of the American courage, bravery and heroics that have forged our great nation and he is beyond deserving of this tremendous honor,” Hawley said.

“His willingness to put the lives and protection of others above himself during the Iraq War’s most intense battle is a priceless act of selflessness to which we should all emulate and, for that, he is an American hero. I am honored to recognize Staff Sgt. Bellavia for his service to our nation and thank him for his sacrifices in protecting our country and its citizens.”

David Bellavia will not become on June 25 the first Batavia resident to receive the Medal of Honor. That distinction goes to Charles Franklin Rand, who is also considered the first volunteer to sign up to fight in the Civil War.

In this video, Ryan Duffy, director of the Holland Land Office Museum, tells us about Rand.