Mass. soldier killed in rescue is awarded Medal of Honor
army.mil
By Bryan Bender, Globe Staff | September 18, 2009
WASHINGTON - Calling it a “celebration of a young soldier and those who loved him,’’ President Obama yesterday awarded the Medal of Honor to Sergeant First Class Jared C. Monti of Raynham for sacrificing his life when he tried to rescue a wounded comrade during a firefight in Afghanistan.
In a choreographed ceremony in the ornate East Room of the White House, Monti’s parents, Paul and Janet, accepted the nation’s highest award for valor on behalf of their son, who would have turned 34 this Sunday.
On hand were 120 relatives, friends, and fellow soldiers, along with Senator John F. Kerry and Representative Barney Frank of Massachusetts, as well as Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen.
“Today is not about high officials and those with stars on their shoulders,’’ Obama said as he bestowed the medal for the first time since becoming commander in chief. “It’s a celebration of a young soldier and those who loved him, who made him into the man he was.’’
“They know that the actions we honor today were not a passing moment of courage,’’ the president added. “They were the culmination of a life of character and commitment.’’
Obama spoke of Monti’s compassion for others and how care packages he received were given to Afghans in need. But where the 12-year Army veteran stood out, Obama continued, was in his “deep and abiding love for his fellow soldiers.’’
“Maybe it came from his mom, who was a nurse. Maybe it came from his dad, a teacher. Guided by the lessons he learned at home, Jared became the consummate NCO - the noncommissioned officer caring for his soldiers and teaching his troops,’’ Obama said. “He called them his ‘boys.’ And although obviously he was still young himself, some of them called him ‘Grandpa.’ ’’
That commitment is what led Monti to brave enemy fire three times in an attempt to pull one of his wounded soldiers to safety during a battle in June 2006.
“It was written long ago that ‘the bravest are surely those who have the clearest vision of what is before them, glory and danger alike, and yet, notwithstanding, go out to meet it,’ Obama said. “Jared Monti saw the danger before him. And he went out to meet it.’’
The president noted that the soldier Monti tried to save died later - killed in a freak accident - but said “his name and legacy will live forever.’’
Obama called on Monti’s parents to stand next to him as the medal citation was read, then presented the framed medal to Paul Monti, shook his hand, and kissed Janet Monti on the cheek.
Yesterday’s ceremony marked only the sixth time the Medal of Honor has been awarded since the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks and the start of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq - all of them posthumously. Monti is the first Army soldier to be awarded the medal for combat in Afghanistan and is the first Bay State recipient since the Vietnam War.
Obama said Monti is “one in a million,’’ noting that in the more than 150 years since the medal was first awarded, tens of millions of Americans have served in uniform, but fewer than 3,500 have received the honor.
It was bittersweet for Monti’s parents, his brother, Timothy, and his sister, Niccole, who will attend a ceremony today to induct him into the Pentagon’s Hall of Heroes. The Army also created a first-of-its kind multimedia website to honor Monti, featuring photos, videos, and a “battlescape.’’
“It’s an honor well deserved,’’ his father told the Globe recently. “It’s phenomenal. He’ll be remembered for all time. But I’ve had to take my beloved son and give him to the rest of the world, and that’s a little difficult for me.’’
Bryan Bender can be reached at bender@globe.com.
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