On July 21, 2014 President Barack Obama will award Ryan Pitts, a former active duty Army Staff Sergeant the Medal of Honor.
Ryan talks about a bracelet he was wearing when his patrol base was overrun by enemy insurgents.
Ryan Pitts: Everything that I've had that I've gotten back from that day I've kept…Yeah, so it's kind of a military tradition and I don't think it's just for the Army.
We call them KIA bracelets and it's just a bracelet with the guys that have fallen to remember them… and it's for us, and on that day I had two, there was one underneath that had the names of guys from both our first deployment and then guys that were from 1st platoon, our 1st platoon Chosen Company that were killed in November.
On top of that I had a bracelet of Sergeant Kahler. I had them both taped together and I was wearing it that day and it actually kept shrapnel from going through my right wrist and I don't like to speculate but it probably helped me keep full function my right hand and I still have it and you can see where the shrapnel hit it and where it penetrated the top bracelet but almost went through the bottom, but didn't.
I haven't worn it since just because it's more of a memorial to me than to wear it.
Related Documents:
Soldiers Update: Medal of Honor Ryan Pitts (PDF) [PDF]
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