Dakota Meyer - Medal of Honor
Dakota Meyer, 23, greases fittings on construction equipment before the day's work begins in Greensburg, Ky., Aug. 2. He wears black wristbands on each arm honoring the three Marines and Navy corpsman who were killed in action in Ganjgal, Afghanistan, Sept. 8, 2009. Meyer says he will wear these wrist bands everyday for the rest of his life to honor his fallen friends. Meyer will be receiving the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest award for valor, from President Barack Obama in Washington, Sept. 15, making him the first living Marine recipient since the Vietnam War. He was assigned to Embedded Training Team 2-8, advising the Afghan National Army in the eastern provinces bordering Pakistan. Meyer will be awarded for heroic actions while trying to save his friends in the Ganjgal valley, Sept. 8, 2009. Photo by Sgt. Jimmy D. Shea. Original public domain image from Flickr