Leroy Petry

Who is Leroy Petry?

Leroy Arthur Petry is a retired United States Army soldier and recipient of the U.S. military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for actions 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 saw extensive deployments to both Iraq and Afghanistan as a member of the 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment. On 26 May 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 when it exploded, saving the soldiers' lives but severing his right hand.

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