David, you've had a chance to recount this story a number of times.

That's to some extent what they expected of Sergeant 'Bell', as he was affectionately known. He couldn't send anybody else in, this was something he had to do.

All of that action was done to stop the fire that was raining down on his squad. I think there were four insurgents who were killed and another that was severely wounded. Ultimately David, as the Staff Sergeant, decided something's got to be done to protect the guys here and he went in and single-handedly cleared the house. Some of that was actually captured on film because there was an embedded reporter. I think it was the tenth house that the squad had gone in to clear and all hell broke loose.

David's squad after three days of constant fighting was checking a darkened house at night. Army unit 'The Ramrods' and they were on the pointy end of the spear, it was the Second Battle of Fallujah. I appreciate it.įausone: Well this is an extraordinary and unique story. David, welcome to Veterans Radio.ĭavid Bellavia: Thank you. Jim Fausone: We want to welcome to Veterans Radio today, Medal of Honor recipient David Bellavia. In the following transcript of his Veterans Radio interview with host Jim Fausone, the reluctant recipient talks about reuniting with his squadmates, behind the scenes of the Medal of Honor ceremony, and his interactions with President Donald J. Fourteen years later, Bellavia got a call from the President of the United States: he had been awarded a Medal of Honor for his actions in Fallujah and would receive America's highest award for bravery in combat during a ceremony at the White House. On November 10, 2004, Bellavia single-handedly cleared a fortified enemy position that had pinned down a squad from his platoon. Army unit, an infantry battalion known as 'The Ramrods' - 2nd Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division - fought and helped win the Battle of Fallujah, the bloodiest episode of the Iraq War. Bellavia tells the story behind one of the Iraq War's legendary acts of valor the men he fought with and the healing of reunion. Staff Sergeant David Bellavia is the only living Medal of Honor Recipient from the Iraq War.

House to House by David Bellavia