DES MOINES, IOWA (AP) -- Gov. Chet Culver says Iowa will honor Army Staff Sgt. Salvatore Giunta next week when he returns home to visit family and friends.
President Barack Obama on Tuesday will present Giunta with the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military honor.
Culver says he will proclaim next Tuesday, Nov. 23, as "Staff Sgt. Salvatore Giunta Day" to recognize his bravery. Giunta and his family will meet privately with Culver, followed by a public ceremony at the Statehouse.
Giunta is from Hiawatha and graduated from Cedar Rapids Kennedy High School. He was serving as a rifle team leader in Afghanistan when his platoon came under attack in 2007.
Giunta is currently stationed in Italy.
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