President Obama awarded the Medal of Honor today to an Army Ranger who lost his right hand while throwing away a live grenade that would have killed him and two "Ranger brothers."
Sergeant First Class Leroy Arthur Petry exhibited "a singular act of gallantry" on May 26, 2008, in Afghanistan, Obama said during an East Room ceremony.
"What leads a person to risk everything so that others may live?" Obama asked while describing the incident in which he "lunged forward" to grab the grenade "just as it exploded."
Obama quoted a fellow soldier who said that Petry proves that "true heroes still exist, and they're closer than you think."
With his missing hand and wounds in his legs that sometimes make it hard to stand, Petry could have retired from the military with honors, Obama pointed out -- but "he pushes on."
"He chose to re-enlist," Obama said. "This past year, he returned to Afghanistan -- his eighth deployment."
As he has at previous Medal of Honor ceremonies, Obama paid tribute to all the troops who have fought for freedom, both in history and today in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The president also lauded the role of military families, saying "our heroes are all around us.
The White House says Petry will be the second living, active-duty service member to be awarded the Medal of Honor for actions in Iraq or Afghanistan.
Petry, a native of Santa Fe, N.M., was shot in both legs and then lost a hand while throwing an enemy grenade away from himself and two fellow Army Rangers - all the while continuing to call out orders so that his unit could fulfill its mission, according to soldiers who served with him.
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