Leroy Petry
Encyclopedia
Leroy Arthur Petry is a Sergeant First Class
Sergeant First Class
Sergeant First Class is the seventh enlisted rank in the U.S. Army, above Staff Sergeant and below Master Sergeant and First Sergeant, and is the first senior non-commissioned officer rank...
in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
and recipient of the Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
. Petry was nominated for The Medal for his actions during a firefight
Firefight
Firefight may refer to:* firefight, a large exchange of bullets between two sides * Firefighting, process of extinguishing destructive flames* A game mode in Halo 3: ODST and Halo: Reach video games...
in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
as a Staff Sergeant
Staff Sergeant
Staff sergeant is a rank of non-commissioned officer used in several countries.The origin of the name is that they were part of the staff of a British army regiment and paid at that level rather than as a member of a battalion or company.-Australia:...
in the 2nd Ranger Battalion
2nd Ranger Battalion
2nd Ranger Battalion is the name of two distinct units of United States Army Rangers. The first was part of the six Ranger battalions of the Second World War...
. Upon his Medal of Honor presentation ceremony on July 12, 2011 he became the second living recipient of the award for actions occurring since the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
.
Early life and family
Petry was born on 29 July 1979, in Santa FeSanta Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe is the capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is the fourth-largest city in the state and is the seat of . Santa Fe had a population of 67,947 in the 2010 census...
, New Mexico, to Larry Petry and Lorella Tapia Petry. The middle child of five sons, his older brothers are Larry Armando and Lloyd and his younger brothers are Lyndon and Lincoln. Petry attended Santa Fe High School
Santa Fe High School (New Mexico)
Santa Fe High School, founded in 1889, is a public high school in the Santa Fe Public Schools. It is located about two miles southwest of downtown Santa Fe, New Mexico and is the largest school in Santa Fe, public or private, with an enrollment of 1,542...
but was a poor student and had to repeat his freshman year. As a sophomore, he transferred to St. Catherine Indian School in Santa Fe and graduated from there in 1998; his was the last class to graduate from the school before its closure. He spent the next year studying at New Mexico Highlands University
New Mexico Highlands University
New Mexico Highlands University is a public university located in Las Vegas, New Mexico.-History:The university was first established as New Mexico Normal School in 1893, with the prominent archaeologist Edgar Lee Hewett serving as its first president...
in Las Vegas
Las Vegas, New Mexico
Las Vegas is a city in San Miguel County, New Mexico, United States. Once two separate municipalities both named Las Vegas, west Las Vegas and east Las Vegas , divided by the Gallinas River, retain distinct characters and separate, rival school districts. The population was 14,565 at the 2000...
, New Mexico.
Petry and his wife Ashley have four children: Ashley's three children from a previous relationship (Brittany, Austin and Reagan), whom Petry is raising as his own, and one son, Landon.
Military service
Influenced by a cousin who joined the U.S. Army RangersUnited States Army Rangers
United States Army Rangers are elite members of the United States Army. Rangers have served in recognized U.S. Army Ranger units or have graduated from the U.S. Army's Ranger School...
, Petry enlisted in the Army in September 1999 and also became a Ranger. He attended Basic Combat Training and Advanced Individual Training
United States Army Basic Training
United States Army Basic Training is the program of physical and mental training required in order for an individual to become a soldier in the United States Army, United States Army Reserve, or Army National Guard. It is carried out at several different Army posts around the United States...
at Fort Benning
Fort Benning
Fort Benning is a United States Army post located southeast of the city of Columbus in Muscogee and Chattahoochee counties in Georgia and Russell County, Alabama...
, Georgia. On the morning of the September 11th Attacks he was in the process of training
Ranger School
The United States Army Ranger School is an intense 61-day combat leadership course oriented towards small-unit tactics. It has been called the "toughest combat course in the world" and "is the most physically and mentally demanding leadership school the Army has to offer". The course is conducted...
to become a Ranger.
Medal of Honor action
At the time of his actions in AfghanistanAfghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, Petry was assigned to Company D, 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment at Joint Base Lewis-McChord
Joint Base Lewis-McChord
Joint Base Lewis-McChord is a United States military facility located south-southwest of Tacoma, Washington. The facility is under the jurisdiction of the United States Army Joint Base Garrison, Joint Base Lewis-McChord....
, Washington. His actions came as part of a rare daylight raid to capture a high-value target. On the day of the actions that would earn Petry the Medal of Honor, 26 May 2008, he was to locate himself with the platoon headquarters in the target building once it was secured. Once there, he was to serve as the senior noncommissioned officer at the site for the remainder of the operation.
Special Operations forces typically conduct their missions at night, but this mission was conducted during daylight. The operation involved about 70 Rangers, who encountered about 40 enemies, 12 of them armed. Almost immediately after getting out of their helicopters, the Rangers came under strong fire. Petry provided additional supervision to an assaulting squad during the clearance of a building, and afterward he took PFC Lucas Robinson to clear the outer courtyard that had not yet been cleared.
Three enemy fighters were in the courtyard, which had a chicken coop within it. The enemy fired on them; Petry was wounded by one round which went through both his legs, and Robinson was wounded, being hit on his side plate. Wounded, Petry led Robinson to the cover
Cover (military)
In military combat, the concept of cover refers to anything which is capable of physically protecting an individual from enemy fire. This differentiates it from the similar concept of concealment, in that an object or area of concealment only affords the benefit of stealth, not actual protection...
of the chicken coop and reported the contact and their wounded condition. Petry threw a thermobaric grenade
Grenade
A grenade is a small explosive device that is projected a safe distance away by its user. Soldiers called grenadiers specialize in the use of grenades. The term hand grenade refers any grenade designed to be hand thrown. Grenade Launchers are firearms designed to fire explosive projectile grenades...
from cover. There at the chicken coop, they were joined by SGT Daniel Higgins, who assessed the wounds of the two soldiers.
An enemy threw a grenade at their position which landed 10 meters from them; it detonated, knocked them to the ground, wounded Higgins, and Robinson was further wounded. Shortly thereafter the three were joined by SSG James Roberts and SPC
Specialist (rank)
Specialist is one of the four junior enlisted ranks in the U.S. Army, just above Private First Class and equivalent in pay grade to Corporal. Unlike Corporals, Specialists are not considered junior non-commissioned officers...
Christopher Gathercole. Another grenade was thrown by an enemy which landed a few feet from Higgins and Robinson. Petry, knowing the risk to his life, moved toward the grenade, picked it up, and attempted to throw it in the direction of the enemy. Petry later recalled his immediate reaction was "get it out of here, get it away from the guys and myself. And I reached over, leaned over to the right, grabbed it with my hand, and I threw it as hard as I could, what I thought was at the time. And as soon as I opened my hand to let it go, it just exploded instantly. And I came back, and the hand was completely severed off." The detonation amputated his right hand, and sprayed his body with shrapnel
Shrapnel
Shrapnel shells were anti-personnel artillery munitions which carried a large number of individual bullets close to the target and then ejected them to allow them to continue along the shell's trajectory and strike the target individually. They relied almost entirely on the shell's velocity for...
. In throwing the grenade away, Petry likely saved the two other soldiers from serious injury or death.
Petry placed a tourniquet
Tourniquet
An emergency tourniquet is a tightly tied band applied around a body part sometimes used in an attempt to stop severe traumatic bleeding. Tourniquets are also used during venipuncture and other medical procedures. Severe bleeding means the loss of more than 1,000 ml of blood. This flow of blood...
on his right arm. Roberts began to fire at the enemy, suppressing
Suppressive fire
In military science, suppressive fire is a fire that degrades the performance of a target below the level needed to fulfill its mission. Suppression is usually only effective for the duration of the fire. Suppressive fire is not always a direct form of fire towards targets; it can be an effective...
the enemy in the courtyard. An additional enemy on the east end of the courtyard fired, fatally wounding Gathercole. Higgins and Robinson returned fire, killing the enemy.
They were then joined by SFC Jerod Staidle, the Platoon Sergeant, and SPC Gary Depriest, a medic
68W
68W is the Military Occupational Specialty for the United States Army's healthcare specialist, also known as the combat medic...
. Directing the medic to treat Gathercole, Petry was assisted by Staide and Higgins to the casualty collection point.
Post-action service
Petry lost his right arm below the elbow. He was evacuated to a U.S. hospital in Germany, where he spent several weeks in recovery before being transferred to Carl R. Darnall Army Medical CenterCarl R. Darnall Army Medical Center
Darnall Army Community Hospital opened in 1965, replacing the World War II era Fort Hood Hospital, a long group of one-story buildings connected with covered walkways.Darnall was the first of three permanent Army hospitals of the 200-300 bed size to open...
in Fort Hood, Texas. He now uses a state-of-the-art prosthetic
Prosthesis
In medicine, a prosthesis, prosthetic, or prosthetic limb is an artificial device extension that replaces a missing body part. It is part of the field of biomechatronics, the science of using mechanical devices with human muscle, skeleton, and nervous systems to assist or enhance motor control...
called an iLimb Pulse, (Touch Bionics, Scotland) in place of his right hand. On the prosthetic is a small plaque
Commemorative plaque
A commemorative plaque, or simply plaque, is a plate of metal, ceramic, stone, wood, or other material, typically attached to a wall, stone, or other vertical surface, and bearing text in memory of an important figure or event...
listing the names of the fallen Rangers of his regiment. After recovering, Petry did not seek a medical discharge
Military discharge
A military discharge is given when a member of the armed forces is released from their obligation to serve.-United States:Discharge or separation should not be confused with retirement; career U.S...
; rather he remains in the Army, and had a deployment to Afghanistan between recovering and receiving the Medal of Honor on 12 July 2011. He has served in a series of combat tours, totaling 28 months within 8 deployments, in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Petry is currently stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord
Joint Base Lewis-McChord
Joint Base Lewis-McChord is a United States military facility located south-southwest of Tacoma, Washington. The facility is under the jurisdiction of the United States Army Joint Base Garrison, Joint Base Lewis-McChord....
, Washington, where he assists injured Rangers. In 2010, he re-enlisted in the Army for an indefinite term of service. , Petry is attending Pierce College
Pierce College
Pierce College is a community college district operating in and serving Pierce County in the U.S. state of Washington. The district consists of two main colleges, Pierce College Fort Steilacoom in Lakewood and Pierce College Puyallup in Puyallup, and auxiliary campuses at Fort Lewis, McChord Air...
.
Medal of Honor award
Petry received the Medal of Honor from President Barack ObamaBarack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
on 12 July 2011 in a ceremony at the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
. He is the second living recipient of the medal, after Salvatore Giunta
Salvatore Giunta
Salvatore Giunta is a retired Italian football player who played for, among others, AC Milan and Albacete Balompié, as well as the Italian under-21 side.Giunta played for AS Cannes in French Ligue 2 during the 1998-99 season....
, for actions occurring after the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, and the ninth recipient for actions in Iraq or Afghanistan. SSG Giunta was in attendance at the awarding ceremony.
Awards and decorations
Petry has received the following awards:| Medal of Honor Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her... |
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| Bronze Star Medal Bronze Star Medal The Bronze Star Medal is a United States Armed Forces individual military decoration that may be awarded for bravery, acts of merit, or meritorious service. As a medal it is awarded for merit, and with the "V" for valor device it is awarded for heroism. It is the fourth-highest combat award of the... with a bronze Oak leaf cluster Oak leaf cluster An oak leaf cluster is a common device which is placed on U.S. Army and Air Force awards and decorations to denote those who have received more than one bestowal of a particular decoration. The number of oak leaf clusters typically indicates the number of subsequent awards of the decoration... |
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| Purple Heart Purple Heart The Purple Heart is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those who have been wounded or killed while serving on or after April 5, 1917 with the U.S. military. The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor is located in New Windsor, New York... |
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| Army Commendation Medal Commendation Medal The Commendation Medal is a mid-level United States military decoration which is presented for sustained acts of heroism or meritorious service. For valorous actions in direct contact with an enemy force, but of a lesser degree than required for the award of the Bronze Star, the Valor device may... with two bronze Oak leaf clusters |
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| Army Achievement Medal Achievement Medal The Achievement Medal is a military decoration of the United States military. The Achievement Medal was first proposed as a means to recognize the contributions of junior officers and enlisted personnel who were not eligible to receive the higher Commendation Medal or the Meritorious Service... with a bronze Oak leaf cluster |
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| Joint Service Achievement Medal | |
| Army Presidential Unit Citation with one silver Oak leaf cluster | |
| Valorous Unit Award Valorous Unit Award The Valorous Unit Award is the second highest unit decoration which may be bestowed upon a U.S. Army unit and is considered the unit equivalent of the Silver Star... with one silver and three bronze Oak leaf clusters |
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| Meritorious Unit Commendation Meritorious Unit Commendation The Meritorious Unit Commendation is a mid-level unit award of the United States military which is awarded to any military command which displays exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding service, heroic deeds, or valorous actions.... with three bronze Oak leaf clusters |
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| Army Good Conduct Medal with four Good Conduct Loop Good Conduct Loop A Good Conduct Loop is an award of the United States Army which denotes additional decorations of the Army Good Conduct Medal. Good Conduct Loops were first created in 1941 and were based on the concept of the enlistment bar... s |
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| National Defense Service Medal National Defense Service Medal The National Defense Service Medal is a military service medal of the United States military originally commissioned by President Dwight D. Eisenhower... |
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| Afghanistan Campaign Medal Afghanistan Campaign Medal The Afghanistan Campaign Medal is a military award of the United States military which was created by Executive Order 13363 of President George W. Bush on November 29, 2004. The Afghanistan Campaign Medal was designed by the U.S. Army Institute of Heraldry.... with two Service star Service star A service star, also referred to as a battle star, campaign star, or engagement star, is an attachment to a United States military decoration which denotes participation in military campaigns or multiple bestowals of the same award. Service stars are typically issued for campaign medals, service... s |
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| Iraq Campaign Medal Iraq Campaign Medal The Iraq Campaign Medal is a military award of the United States armed forces which was created by Executive Order 13363 of President George W. Bush on November 29, 2004. The Iraq Campaign Medal was designed by the U.S. Army Institute of Heraldry.... with two Service stars |
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| Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal The Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal is a United States armed forces military award created by George W. Bush on March 12, 2003 by Executive Order 13289. It recognizes those military service members who have deployed overseas in direct service to the War on Terror from September 11,... |
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| Global War on Terrorism Service Medal Global War on Terrorism Service Medal The Global War on Terrorism Service Medal is a military award of the United States military which was created by Executive Order 13289 of President George W. Bush on March 12, 2003... |
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| Non-Commissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon with award numeral 3 | |
| Army Service Ribbon Army Service Ribbon The Army Service Ribbon is a military decoration of the United States Army that was established by the Secretary of the Army on 10 April 1981 as announced in Department of the Army General Order 15, dated 10 October 1990.... |
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| Army Overseas Service Ribbon Overseas Service Ribbon An Overseas Service Ribbon is a service military award of the United States military which recognizes those service members who have performed military tours of duty outside the borders of the United States of America. There are different versions of the Overseas Service Ribbons for the U.S. Army,... |
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Combat Infantryman Badge Combat Infantryman Badge The Combat Infantryman Badge is the U.S. Army combat service recognition decoration awarded to soldiers—enlisted men and officers holding colonel rank or below, who personally fought in active ground combat while an assigned member of either an infantry or a Special Forces unit, of brigade size... |
 |
Senior Parachutist Badge Parachutist Badge (United States) The Parachutist Badge, also commonly referred to as "Jump Wings" or "Snow Cone", is a military badge of the United States Armed Forces awarded to members of the United States Army, Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy... |
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Ranger Tab Ranger Tab The Ranger Tab is a service school military decoration of the United States Army signifying completion of the 61-day long Ranger School course in small-unit infantry combat tactics in woodland, mountain, and swamp operations. In December 2009 a British NCO earned the Ranger tab... |
| No image available | Canadian Canadian Forces The Canadian Forces , officially the Canadian Armed Forces , are the unified armed forces of Canada, as constituted by the National Defence Act, which states: "The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces."... Jump Wings Parachutist Badge The Parachutist Badge or Parachutist Brevet is a military badge awarded by the Armed Forces of most countries in the world to soldiers who receive the proper parachute training and accomplish the required number of jumps. It is difficult to assess which country was the first to introduce such award... |
SFC Petry also has 4 Overseas Service Bar
Overseas Service Bar
An Overseas Service Bar is an accoutrement of the United States Army dress uniform which is displayed as an embroidered gold bar worn horizontally on the right sleeve of the Class A uniform and the Army Service Uniform...
s and 4 Service Stripe
Service stripe
A service stripe, commonly called a hash mark, is a decoration of the United States military which is presented to enlisted members of the U.S. military to denote length of service. The United States Army awards each stripe for three years service, while the United States Navy, United States...
s.
Medal of Honor citation
See also
- Salvatore GiuntaSalvatore GiuntaSalvatore Giunta is a retired Italian football player who played for, among others, AC Milan and Albacete Balompié, as well as the Italian under-21 side.Giunta played for AS Cannes in French Ligue 2 during the 1998-99 season....
- Dakota MeyerDakota MeyerDakota L. Meyer is a United States Marine Corps veteran and recipient of the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Battle of Ganjgal on September 8, 2009, part of Operation Enduring Freedom in Kunar province, Afghanistan...
- List of living Medal of Honor recipients
- List of Operation Enduring Freedom – Afghanistan Medal of Honor recipients
- List of Hispanic Medal of Honor recipients