Giunta and his eight-man
squad[9] were moving along a ridgeline of Honcho Hill when at least a dozen insurgents
[10] mounted an L-shaped ambush at such close range that
close air support could not be provided. Sergeant Josh Brennan, who was
walking point, suffered at least 6 gunshot wounds. Giunta, then a
specialist, was the fourth soldier back and squad leader Erick Gallardo third. Gallardo attempted to sprint forward but encountered heavy RPG and small arms fire. While moving back to cover, he was struck in the helmet and fell.
[8] Giunta saw Gallardo go down and ran to him, but while pulling the sergeant back to cover Giunta took a bullet to the chest
[7] and another bullet destroyed a weapon slung over his back.
[11] The platoon commander, Lt Brad Winn, radioed Kearney to advise him that he had five men down (the squad's medic, Spec. Hugo Mendoza, was fatally wounded at the beginning of the ambush). Kearney ordered Second Platoon to assist Winn's platoon but Second Platoon had to cross a river to do so.
[7]
Both Giunta and Gallardo had been saved by their body armor,
[12] however, and resumed their advance, firing and throwing
hand grenades, until they reached Specialist Franklin Eckrode. Eckrode had been shot four times and was attempting to unjam his
M249 machine gun.
[9][8] While Gallardo, who later received a Silver Star for his actions, dressed Eckrode's wounds, Giunta continued to advance. Seeing three Taliban fighters, two of whom were attempting to carry away Brennan, Giunta pursued them over exposed ground firing his
M4 Carbine, killing one (who was known as Mohammad Tali and considered a
high-value target).
[13][14] After reaching Brennan Giunta pulled him to cover and provided aid.
[15]
I ran through fire to see what was going on with [Brennan] and maybe we could hide behind the same rock and shoot together ... He was still conscious. He was breathing. He was asking for
morphine. I said, "You'll get out and tell your hero stories," and he was like, "I will, I will."
[16]
Brennan did not survive surgery.
[17] According to his father, Michael Brennan, "not only did [Giunta] save [my son] Josh ... He really saved half of the platoon."
[18]
.
