On Thursday, President Obama awarded the Medal of Honor – this nation’s highest military honor – posthumously to a 22-year-old Union soldier from the Civil War. Living Medal of Honor recipients are somewhat rare. There are only 79 living out of nearly 3,500 recipients.
Reporting for the WUSF Veterans Coming Home project, Bobbie O’Brien talks with a recently retired Army Ranger and Medal of Honor recipient. He visited with student veterans and athletes this week at the University of South Florida.
Army Ranger Master Sergeant Leroy Petry retired just a few months ago. He – like many of the student veterans in the audience – is taking on a new mission – college – starting a business – and spending more time with family."I have served 8 tours and I know that sounds like a lot but I’d love to be nowhere else but with my guys right now who just returned from trip number 17 overseas. They want and are still making a difference", said Petry.
Petry made a difference on May 26, 2008 as a weapons squad leader in Afghanistan. Petry was shot in both legs. Two Rangers - wounded by a grenade – were near him. That’s when Petry saw a second grenade, he picked it up to throw it clear of his Rangers. It exploded severing his right hand. Petry’s training kicked in. He applied his own tourniquet and then got on the radio to call for support.
The citation for his Medal of Honor in part reads “his gallant act undeniably saved his fellow Rangers from being severely wounded or killed.”
As a living Medal of Honor recipient – Petry is in demand to speak at schools, organizations and official ceremonies. But he says he’s seen heroes all around him as he’s traveled the country.
"Despite all the cynicism you hear about Americans being selfish or isolate from war, I’ve found from my travels and meetings that we are good and generous people and that our freedoms and life are worth fighting for", said Petry.
As a recent retiree – he says the toughest part of transitioning into civilian life is balancing his drive to be with his battle buddies versus spending time with his four children.
"I had opportunity to go overseas with some guys and it was over Halloween and this might be my son’s last year trick-or-treating so I had to choose one or the other and I know I’ll get another opportunity to go back", Petry said. "But the hardest part has been probably my time. I am still requested to go to a lot of places and as important as it is, I’ve got to start giving my slice of the pie-chart some more time for my family and for my education and my goals."
He’s going back to college this winter – working on a degree in economics. His goal is to own his own business or franchise. Petry hopes to be just another student.
"I know this award has kind of put me in a different spot where that will come first", Petry said. "But I don’t want to be known only as Leroy Petry Medal of Honor recipient. I want to be known as ‘Hey! That’s a good guy over there just helping me out’ later on if they find out great. It’s the same thing when I stop and help somebody with a flat tire on the side of the road. 813 it’s not until I take off and they see my Medal of Honor license plate and they go oh, wow. 818 I don’t want that recognition. I just want to keep doing what I can to make this country a better place."
His youngest son Landon wants to follow in his father’s footsteps – maybe.
"He’s either going to be NFL, NBA or Army Ranger. But his generosity and in fact, I was on the road and he got chose as student of week for reading. And so he got to bring in whatever book he wanted to bring in and read a story", said Petry. "He has a Medal of Honor book of all the living recipients and he read the story of Sammy davis to his classmates. In the fifth grade, and they were so excited about the story they had him pick another one. He’s like, 'okay, I’ll read you my dad’s story.'"
Petry starts a new chapter in his own story he can be there in person for Landon. But he’ll still do public appearances. And he’ll shake hands – with his prosthetics hand - and take photos with all who ask just like he did with countless veterans and students at USF.