Medals of Honor aren’t won — they’re earned by “gallantry and intrepidity” beyond the call of duty. In the war on terror, only four have been awarded — all posthumously — until this year, when Salvatore Giunta became the first living service member to receive the medal since the Vietnam War. The Taliban ambushed Sgt. Giunta’s eight-man patrol as it was on patrol in Afghanistan’s Korengal Valley. Despite being shot in the chest, he managed to repel enemy fighters, prevent a wounded comrade from being taken prisoner, and save the lives of two fellow soldiers. Giunta, 25, of Clinton, Iowa, remains in the Army, now stationed in Vicenza, Italy. His actions are a tribute to the courage of all Americans serving in harm’s way.