Jared C . Monti Jared Christopher Monti ( September 20 , 1975 – June 21 , 2006 ) was a soldier in the United States Army who received the United States military ' s highest decoration for valor , the Medal of Honor , for his actions in Afghanistan . Monti was deployed with his unit when they were attacked by a group of enemy insurgents . When another soldier was wounded , Monti attempted to rescue him three times and was killed in action . The President signed the authorization for Monti to receive the Medal of Honor and the medal was presented to his family in a ceremony at the White House in 2009 . It was the first Medal of Honor presentation during Obama ' s presidency . Monti was the sixth person from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to be awarded the Medal of Honor . Early life . Monti was born in Abington , Massachusetts , on September 20 , 1975 , to Paul , a school teacher , and Janet Monti . He grew up in Raynham , Massachusetts and even as a child the adventurous character that would later earn him the Medal of Honor was already apparent . As a four - year - old , he disappeared from the backyard one day , and his mother found him later on hanging by the hood of his sweatshirt on the other side of the fence . On another occasion , a migraine headache kept him home from school , but he left the house and was later found climbing a tree . In 1994 he graduated from Bridgewater - Raynham Regional High School at the age of 18 . Monti had two siblings , a sister , Nicole and a brother , Timothy . Military service . After enlisting in the Army in March 1993 , he completed basic training and forward observer training at Fort Sill , Oklahoma and continued his training as a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division . Monti , a fire support specialist , served as a staff sergeant and Fire Support Team sergeant with the 3rd Squadron , 71st Cavalry Regiment , 3rd Brigade Combat Team , 10th Mountain Division . Previous to his service in Afghanistan he was deployed to Kosovo , where he sustained injuries while sky diving . He rejected a medical discharge and reenlisted to deploy with his unit to Afghanistan in February 2006 , as part of Task Force Spartan . Medal of Honor action . On June 21 , 2006 , Monti served as the assistant leader of a 16 - man patrol and leader of a weapons forward observer team tasked with gathering intelligence in Gowardesh , Nuristan Province , in northeastern Afghanistan . The team established a small base on a ridge to support a larger Army operation in the valley below . When the larger operation was delayed , Monti ' s team ran low on provisions . The helicopter that brought supplies revealed the team ' s position . That evening , the patrol was attacked by a group of at least 60 insurgents , who had established two positions on a wooded ridge about 50 - yards above the patrol and attempted to outflank Monti and his team . The Americans took cover and returned fire , and Monti radioed for artillery and close air support . Enemy fire killed Staff Sergeant Patrick Lybert . Another soldier , Specialist Brian J . Bradbury , was severely wounded and left lying in the open between the enemy and the team ' s position . Staff Sergeant Chris Cunningham , leader of the patrol ' s sniper team , called out that he was going to try to rescue Bradbury . Monti replied , " That ’ s my guy . I am going to get him . " Monti made three attempts to reach Bradbury . On his first , he advanced to within three feet of Bradbury before being forced back by intense machine - gun and rocket - propelled grenade ( RPG ) fire . His second try was similarly turned back and as the rest of his patrol provided covering fire , Monti advanced a third time but was struck by an RPG . Some news reports indicated that the explosion blew off both of his legs , but this is not supported by family accounts or military records . Monti attempted to crawl back towards cover . He is reported by comrades to have made his peace with God and asked Sgt . Cunningham to tell his parents he loved them . Monti died moments later . At about the same time , the artillery and air support for which he had called began hitting the enemy position , killing 22 of the attackers and dispersing the rest . SPC Bradbury subsequently died during his evacuation when the cable on the rescue hoist lifting him to a 159th Medical Company ( Air Ambulance ) helicopter broke . The fall also killed Staff Sergeant Heathe Craig , 28 , a medic from Severn , Maryland . Burial and Medal of Honor ceremony . Monti is buried in section 11 , site 38 of the Massachusetts National Cemetery in Bourne , Massachusetts . The Army posthumously promoted him to sergeant first class . On July 24 , 2009 President Barack Obama signed the authorization for Monti to receive the Medal of Honor for this action . The medal was presented to the family by the President in a formal ceremony at the White House on September 17 , 2009 . Monti is the 3 , 448th recipient of the honor since the medal was established by the U . S . Congress during the American Civil War . Additionally , he is the second Medal of Honor recipient from the conflict in Afghanistan , after Navy SEAL Michael P . Murphy , who received the medal in 2007 . Military awards . SFC Monti ' s personal decorations include : In addition to the Medal of Honor , Monti ' s awards include the Bronze Star Medal , Purple Heart , Army Commendation Medal ( 5 ) , Army Achievement Medal ( 4 ) , Good Conduct Medal ( 4 ) , National Defense Service Medal ( 2 ) , Korean Defense Service Medal , Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal ( 2 ) , Kosovo Campaign Medal ( 2 ) , Non - Commissioned Officer Development Ribbon ( 2 ) , Army Service Ribbon , Overseas Service Ribbon , NATO Medal , Afghanistan Campaign Medal ( 2 ) , and Global War on Terrorism Service Medal , Combat Action Badge , Parachutist Badge , and Air Assault Badge . Other honors . On January 13 , 2009 , Marc R . Pacheco submitted a petition to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to designate a state owned bridge in the town of Raynham as the SFC Jared C . Monti Bridge . The motion passed and the state Senate approved for the bridge to be renamed . A call - for - fire training facility at Fort Sill , Oklahoma , where Monti trained , will be named in his honor . The former Pine Plains Fitness Center on Fort Drum has been renamed the Monti Fitness Facility in honor of SFC Jared C . Monti . In May , 2013 , Connie Harrington , songwriter of Lee Brice ' s number one country hit " I Drive Your Truck , " revealed that she wrote the song after listening to Monti ' s father , Paul , on the public radio program Here & Now .