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Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor awarded

Medal of Honor awarded

Medals of Honor have been rare since the end of the Vietnam war. And not one of the recipients from the recent deployments have been alive to have the iconic blue ribbon with the gold star draped around his neck. Until now. On Tuesday, President Obama awarded Staff Sgt. Salvatore Giunta the nation's highest medal for valor for his actions in Afghanistan. FULL STORY
• CNN's Barbara Starr reports Video
•A moment to earn, years to receive

The recipient

Medal of Honor recipient felt 'angry' and 'lost'
Medal of Honor recipient felt 'angry' and 'lost'

The battle

Details of the fighting
Details about Sal Giunta's actions in the battle that gained him recognition: "The whole time frame lasted, I don't know, maybe two minutes, three minutes. Five or six lifetimes," he told CNN. "You can turn and see the muzzle flashes and the bullets coming out of the guns and it's not just one of them, not just 10 of them, it's more than that." FULL STORY

• Why military abandoned Korengal Valley Video 

The medal

The 'perks' of a Medal of Honor
The 'perks' of a Medal of Honor

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U.S. and coalition casualties in Iraq, Afghanistan
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More about Afghanistan
Afghanistan Crossroads is where CNN's reporting converges - bringing you a diversity of voices, stunning images and video, global perspectives and the latest news from on the ground in Afghanistan and around the world. GO TO THE BLOG