Video tribute to SFC Jared Monti:"I Drive Your Truck"

Jared Christopher Monti (September 20, 1975 – June 21, 2006) was a soldier in the United States Army who received the United States military's highest decoration for valor, the Medal of Honor for his actions in Afghanistan.

Monti was deployed with his unit when they were attacked by a group of enemy insurgents. When another soldier was wounded, Monti attempted to rescue him and was killed in action. The President signed the authorization for Monti to receive the Medal of Honor and the medal was presented to his family in a ceremony at the White House in 2009. He was the sixth person from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to be awarded the Medal of Honor.

Read more on SFC Monti's selfless bravery here. 

 Courtesy of Gold Star Mom Mickey, I came across a video made in tribute to this Fallen Hero:

From Lee Brice's site:

Tuesday, 14 May 2013

Lee Brice celebrated his #1 song, I Drive Your Truck, with a party in Nashville yesterday afternoon with some very special guests. The song was written by Connie Harrington, Jessi Alexander and Jimmy Yeary, inspired by a story that Connie read about a family who lost their son Jared, who was killed in Afghanistan while trying to save a fellow soldier. When they asked the dad how he coped with the loss of his son he said he drove his truck. The writers had never met the family and weren’t sure if they’d ever be able to track them down, but just recently they did. They called Jared’s father, Paul Monti, and recorded the conversation, which Lee heard later. When they called they introduced themselves and told Paul about the song they had written. He was very familiar with the song and told them, “We feel like this song is just right out of our story.” That’s when they revealed to him, “Well, it is you. It’s your son.” Lee says it was such a powerful moment, just to hear the father realize that the song was his story. The family had connected with the song on such a personal level but they had no idea it was written about them.

Once they were in contact with the family, Lee said they thought it would be so special to fly them to Nashville for the #1 party. “We got ‘em plane tickets and a hotel and we flew in the parents of Jared, he was the guy that got killed in the song. He was the guy that they were getting in his truck and driving around, the actual guy and so we’re gonna give them some plaques and let them see how big their story really became.”

 At the ceremony at the White House honouring SFC Monti, POTUS said in part - and reported here by the US Army:

“Duty. Honor. Country. Service. Sacrifice. Heroism. These are words of weight. But as people — as a people and as a culture, we often invoke them lightly. We toss them around freely. But do we really grasp the meaning of these values? Do we truly understand the nature of these virtues? To serve, and to sacrifice. Jared Monti knew. The Monti family knows. And they know that the actions we honor today were not a passing moment of courage. They were the culmination of a life of character and commitment....

Go there and read the rest (and look at the many pictures) about a man who embodied  "Duty. Honor. Country. Service. Sacrifice. Heroism."
 



[Adding from the comments because THIS is important:

KIA same battle with Jared SSG Patrick Lee Lybert (Silver Star, Bronze, Purple Heart). During attempts to rescue PFC Brian Bradbury , Medic SSG Craig Heathe fell to his death when the hoist up to the chopper broke while lifting PFC Brian Bradbury off Hill 2610. Both Heathe and Bradbury died from the fall..a tragic night that took the life of four exceptional soldiers....I'm the Gold Star Mother of SSG Patrick L. Lybert . I had his F150 overhauled .."I Drive "His " Truck windows down, tunes blaring as I drive the country roads and fishing holes he grew up with tears streaming.  

Thank YOU for your Sacrifice, SSG Lybert's mom.  I promise you our Fallen Heroes will always be remembered, always Honoured.