Leroy Petry

Leroy Arthur Petry (born July 29, 1979) is a retired United States Army soldier. He received the U.S. military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions in Afghanistan in 2008 during Operation Enduring Freedom.

Born in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Petry had an active youth, and joined the Army after high school. Completing the Ranger Indoctrination Program, he was deployed several times to both Iraq and Afghanistan as a member of the 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment. On May 26, 2008, during his seventh deployment, Petry was a member of a team on a mission to capture a Taliban target in Paktia Province. Despite being wounded in both legs by gunfire, Petry continued to fight and give orders. When a grenade landed between him and two other soldiers, Petry grabbed it and attempted to throw it away from them. He saved the soldiers' lives but the grenade exploded, severing his right hand.

Petry became the second recent living recipient of the medal for the war in Afghanistan in 2011 when he received the award from U.S. President Barack Obama. Opting to reenlist in spite of his injury, Petry remained on active duty in the U.S. Army until his retirement on July 29, 2014.

Early life and education Leroy Petry was born on July 29, 1979, in Santa Fe, New Mexico, to Larry and Lorella (Tapia) Petry, of Mexican-American descent. He is the third of five sons, with older brothers Larry Armando and Lloyd, and younger brothers Lyndon and Lincoln. In his youth, he was described as very active and likable by his friends and family. Petry attended Santa Fe High School but was a poor student; he repeated his freshman year. As a sophomore, he transferred to St. Catherine Indian School, a private school in Santa Fe, where his academic performance substantially improved. Growing up, Petry played football and basketball, and he also enjoyed fixing cars and cooking in his spare time. He graduated in 1998; his was the last class to graduate from St. Catherine before it closed.

Military career Petry – seated to his left, Santa Fe mayor David Coss, New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez, and sculptor and governor of Pojoaque Pueblo, George Rivera. Influenced by a cousin who joined the United States Army Rangers, The team of 7 Rangers encountered about 40 Taliban, 12 of them armed. Almost immediately after getting out of the helicopters that delivered the unit to the attack site, the Rangers came under strong fire. Petry provided additional supervision to an assaulting squad during the clearance of a building, and afterward he took Private First Class Lucas Robinson to clear an outer courtyard.

The detonation amputated his right hand, and sprayed his body with shrapnel. Petry likely saved the two other soldiers from serious injury or death. After recovering, Petry did not seek a medical discharge; instead, he deployed to Afghanistan between recovering and receiving the Medal of Honor.

In 2010, Petry re-enlisted in the U.S. Army for an indefinite term of service. In June 2014, Petry was given a house by George Strait on behalf of a charity, in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. On July 23, 2014, Petry was promoted to Master Sergeant and was awarded the Legion of Merit during his retirement ceremony. He was inducted into the Honorable Order of Saint Maurice. He officially retired from the United States Army on July 29, 2014, after nearly 15 years of service.

Post-military activities Before he retired, Petry stated his intention to spend more time with family, and to further his education. On Veterans Day 2014, Petry was featured on The Concert for Valor. In January 2015, Master Sergeant Jose Rodela and Petry attended the All-American Bowl in San Antonio. In April 2015, Corporal Kyle Carpenter, and Petry, returned to Afghanistan where both addressed deployed service members. As part of paying tribute to Missing in Action/Prisoners of War, Petry completed a 10-day cross country Run For The Wall in May 2015. In 2015 and 2016, fellow Medal of Honor recipients Meyer, and Clint Romesha, and Petry became involved in the movie Range 15. In 2017, Petry was inducted into the Ranger Hall of Fame at Fort Benning. During the 2016 United States presidential election, Petry endorsed the candidacy of Jeb Bush, then Donald Trump. Working with non-profit organisations, Petry has escorted wounded veterans to return to Afghanistan, for Operation Proper Exit, more than a dozen times. Along with fellow Medal of Honor recipient Florent Groberg, Petry works for a consulting company, Mission 6 Zero.

Petry has become an advocate for behavioral medicine. In addition to all these activities, Petry has become a prolific speaker; he has spoken at the College of William & Mary, University of South Florida, Minneapolis, Kabul, Fairbanks, Virginia Tech, and Montana State University.

In a February 2020 guest appearance on Fox and Friends, MSG Petry stated, that Army LTC Alexander Vindman "couldn't be trusted" during Ranger School, and also stated that Vindman's peers took measures toward an attempt to have him removed from training. Petry went on to accuse Vindman of "spotlighting", a term used to describe casting of oneself in an exceptionally positive light by highlighting oneself as a hero.

Awards and decorations MSG Petry has received the following awards: Valorous Unit Award

Medal of Honor citation

alt=A light blue neck ribbon with a gold star shaped medallion hanging from it. The ribbon is similar in shape to a bowtie with 13 white stars in the center of the ribbon.

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty: Staff Sergeant Leroy A. Petry distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty in action with an armed enemy in the vicinity of Paktya Province, Afghanistan, on May 26, 2008. As a Weapons Squad Leader with D Company, 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Staff Sergeant Petry moved to clear the courtyard of a house that potentially contained high-value combatants. While crossing the courtyard, Staff Sergeant Petry and another Ranger were engaged and wounded by automatic weapons fire from enemy fighters. Still under enemy fire, and wounded in both legs, Staff Sergeant Petry led the other Ranger to cover. He then reported the situation and engaged the enemy with a hand grenade, providing suppression as another Ranger moved to his position. The enemy quickly responded by maneuvering closer and throwing grenades. The first grenade explosion knocked his two fellow Rangers to the ground and wounded both with shrapnel. A second grenade then landed only a few feet away from them. Instantly realizing the danger, Staff Sergeant Petry, unhesitatingly and with complete disregard for his safety, deliberately and selflessly moved forward, picked up the grenade, and in an effort to clear the immediate threat, threw the grenade away from his fellow Rangers. As he was releasing the grenade it detonated, amputating his right hand at the wrist and further injuring him with multiple shrapnel wounds. Although picking up and throwing the live grenade grievously wounded Staff Sergeant Petry, his gallant act undeniably saved his fellow Rangers from being severely wounded or killed. Despite the severity of his wounds, Staff Sergeant Petry continued to maintain the presence of mind to place a tourniquet on his right wrist before communicating the situation by radio in order to coordinate support for himself and his fellow wounded Rangers. Staff Sergeant Petry's extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service, and reflect great credit upon himself, 75th Ranger Regiment, and the United States Army.

Personal life Petry and his wife Ashley have four children: son Landon as well as three children from Ashley's previous relationship.

Honors On June 24, 2013, a 9-foot tall bronze and stainless steel statue of Petry by George Rivera, Governor of Pueblo of Pojoaque, was unveiled at Santa Fe City Hall. Among the visiting dignitaries was Medal of Honor recipient Bruce Crandall. In 2013, a housing program was named after Petry in the Washington metropolitan area, funded by David Feherty's Troops First Foundation The city of Santa Fe announced that the South Meadows Bridge over the Santa Fe River will be rededicated as the "Sgt. First Class Leroy Arthur Petry Bridge." In 2018, a unit for care of veterans in a psychiatric hospital in Marysville, Washington, was dedicated on behalf of Petry.