David Bellavia David Bellavia ( born November 10 , 1975 ) is an American Iraq War veteran who was awarded the Silver Star for his actions during the Second Battle of Fallujah . Bellavia has also received the Bronze Star , three Army Commendation Medal s , two Army Achievement Medal s and the New York State Conspicuous Service Cross . He has also been nominated for the Medal of Honor and the Distinguished Service Cross . In 2005 , Bellavia was inducted into the New York Veterans ' Hall of Fame . He has subsequently been involved with politics in Western New York State . Bellavia was born and raised in Buffalo , New York . He attended Franklin Pierce College in Rindge , New Hampshire and the University at Buffalo . Military service . Bellavia enlisted in the United States Army in July 1999 and deployed to Iraq after serving in Kosovo . The actions for which Bellavia earned a Silver Star took place on his 29th birthday . As a member of Company A , Task Force 2 - 2 , 1st Infantry Division , his platoon was assigned during Operation Phantom Fury to clear a block of twelve buildings from which insurgents were firing on American forces . The platoon began searching house - to - house . At the tenth house , Bellavia fatally shot an insurgent preparing to load a rocket - propelled grenade . A second insurgent fired at him , and Bellavia wounded him in the shoulder . When Staff Sergeant Bellavia entered a bedroom , the wounded insurgent followed , forcing Bellavia to kill him . When another insurgent began firing from upstairs , Bellavia returned fire and killed him . A fourth insurgent then jumped out of a closet in the bedroom , yelling and firing his weapon as he leaped over a bed trying to reach Bellavia . The insurgent tripped and Bellavia wounded him . Bellavia chased the insurgent when he ran upstairs . He followed the wounded insurgent ' s bloody footprints to a room on the left and threw in a fragmentation grenade . Upon entering the room , Bellavia discovered it was filled with propane tanks and plastic explosives . He did not fire his weapon for fear of setting off an explosion and instead then engaged in hand - to - hand combat with the insurgent , which lead to Bellavia killing the insurgent by stabbing him in the collarbone with a Gerber pocketknife . His actions in Fallujah were first documented in the November 22 , 2004 " Time magazine " magazine cover story , " Into the Hot Zone " , by journalist Michael Ware , who was attached with Bellavia ' s unit during the fight . After serving for six years , Bellavia left the service with the rank of Staff Sergeant in 2005 . Subsequent career . Bellavia lives in Batavia , New York and is Vice Chairman of Vets for Freedom . He attended the 2006 State of the Union address as an honored guest . In 2007 , Bellavia published a memoir , " House to House : An Epic Memoir of War " , co - written with John R . Bruning . In September 2010 the book was chosen as one of the top five best Iraq War memoirs by journalist Thomas Ricks ( author of " Fiasco " ) . In 2012 Bellavia signed an agreement with 2012 Oscar - winning producer Rich Middlemas to make his memoir into a major motion picture , due out in 2014 . Since leaving the U . S . Army , Bellavia has twice run for congress in New York ' s 26th congressional district . In 2008 , he ran in the Republican primary to succeed retiring representative Tom Reynolds . Bellavia dropped out of the race before the Republican Party ballot was finalized and endorsed Republican Chris Lee , who went on to win the seat . When Lee resigned from office in 2011 , Bellavia again tried for the seat . State party officials endorsed State Assemblywoman Jane Corwin , so Bellavia launched an unsuccessful third - party bid , forming the " Federalist Party of New York " with political operatives that had previously been involved in the short - lived Taxpayers Party . The New York State Tea Party announced their displeasure with the Republican party ' s choice of Corwin , and hinted that they might back Bellavia ' s run , but the ruling of State Board of Elections that Bellavia ' s petition to be placed on the ballot was deficient ended his 2011 run . Bellavia , in turn , endorsed perennial candidate Jack Davis , who likewise had been spurned by the Republicans during the endorsement process and was running on a third - party candidacy backed by a competing Tea Party faction . Bellavia was a candidate in the 2012 GOP primary for the since - renumbered 27th congressional district of New York . Bellavia competed against Chris Collins , the former county executive of Erie County , for the Republican nomination . Collins won both the primary and the general election . Bellavia joined the staff of WBEN in late 2012 as a fill - in host and became the station ' s permanent late - night host in October 2013 . Bellavia was let go from WBEN on November 4 , 2013 .