“I didn’t feel any pain,” Petry said. “It was odd. When I sat back up and saw my hand … I grabbed where my wrist was, and it was completely gone. I was waiting for the Hollywood squirt, blood to go flying in the air, but that didn’t happen. Then I went back to my military training, applied the tourniquet that I had.”
Roberts placed accurate fire on the Taliban fighters, suppressing them in the courtyard. However, another Taliban fighter on the east end of the courtyard fired, fatally wounding Gathercole, before Higgins and Robinson returned fire, killing that fighter.
The Rangers were then joined by the unit’s platoon sergeant, SFC Jerod Staidle, and their medic, SP4 Gary Depriest. Ignoring his own wounds, Petry ordered Depriest to treat Gathercole. He was then finally assisted by Staidle and Higgins to the casualty collection point.
As he was being evacuated, Petry’s Rangers marveled at his bravery and coolness under fire. One his Rangers came up to shake Petry’s other hand. This fellow Ranger later said that it was the first time he had shaken the hand of a “true American hero.”
Recovery and a Return to Duty:
Petry’s wounds resulted in his right arm having to be amputated below the elbow. He was evacuated to an American hospital in Germany, where he spent several weeks in recovery before being transferred to Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center in Fort Hood, Texas.
He now uses an advanced prosthetic in place of his right hand. His prosthetic has special attachments that allow him to play golf, use cutlery and cook and do most anything he could prior to that day in Afghanistan. On the prosthetic is a small plaque listing the names of the fallen Rangers of his regiment. Dating back to Grenada, Petry carries a reminder with him of his Regiment’s heroes.
After recovering, Petry did not seek a medical discharge and elected to remain on active duty. He was told by the command that they were recommending him for the Medal of Honor.
Petry received the Medal of Honor from U.S. President Barack Obama on July 12, 2011, in a ceremony at the White House. He is the ninth recipient for actions in Iraq or Afghanistan. Petry later in 2011 attended the Medal of Honor ceremony of U.S. Marine Sergeant Dakota Meyer, the third living recipient of the medal since Vietnam.
The following is the remarks that President Obama made at Petry’s ceremony when he awarded him the Medal.
Every human impulse would tell someone to turn away. Every soldier is trained to seek cover. That’s what Sergeant Leroy Petry could have done. Instead, this wounded Ranger, this 28-year-old man with his whole life ahead of him, this husband and father of four, did something extraordinary. He lunged forward, toward the live grenade. He picked it up. He cocked his arm to throw it back.
What compels such courage? What leads a person to risk everything so that others might live? For answers, we don’t need to look far. The roots of Leroy’s valor are all around us.
We see it in the sense of duty instilled by his family, who joins us today —- his father Larry, his mother Lorella, and his four brothers. Growing up, the walls of their home were hung with pictures of grandfathers and uncles in uniform, leading a young Leroy to believe “that’s my calling, too.”
We see it in the compassion of a high school student who overcame his own struggles to mentor younger kids to give them a chance. We see it in the loyalty of an Army Ranger who lives by a creed: “Never shall I fail my comrades.” Or as Leroy puts it, “These are my brothers —- family just like my wife and kids —- and you protect the ones you love.” And that’s what he did that day when he picked up that grenade and threw it back —- just as it exploded.
With that selfless act, Leroy saved his two Ranger brothers, and they are with us today. His valor came with a price. The force of the blast took Leroy’s right hand. Shrapnel riddled his body. Said one of his teammates, “I had never seen someone hurt so bad.” So even his fellow Rangers were amazed at what Leroy did next. Despite his grievous wounds, he remained calm. He actually put on his own tourniquet. And he continued to lead, directing his team, giving orders —- even telling the medics how to treat his wounds.
When the fight was won, as he lay in a stretcher being loaded onto a helicopter, one of his teammates came up to shake the hand that Leroy had left. “That was the first time I shook the hand of someone who I consider to be a true American hero,” that Ranger said. Leroy Petry “showed that true heroes still exist and that they’re closer than you think.” Sua Sponte
This article was originally published on SpecialOperations.com and written by
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