| David Bellavia | |
|---|---|
David Bellavia, Medal of Honor Nominee |
|
| Nickname | Bell |
| Born | November 10, 1975 |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1999-2005 |
| Rank | Staff Sergeant |
| Unit | 2nd Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division |
| Battles/wars | Iraq War |
| Awards | Silver Star Bronze Star Army Commendation Medal Army Achievement Medal |
David Bellavia (born November 10, 1975) is an American Iraq War veteran who was awarded the Silver Star for his actions during the Second Battle of Fallujah. Bellavia has also received the Bronze Star, three Army Commendation Medals, two Army Achievement Medals and the New York State Conspicuous Service Cross. He has also been nominated for the Medal of Honor and the Distinguished Service Cross. In 2005, Bellavia was inducted into the New York Veterans' Hall of Fame.[1] He has subsequently been involved with politics in Western New York State. Bellavia was born and raised in Buffalo, New York. He attended Franklin Pierce College in Rindge, New Hampshire and the University of Buffalo.[2]
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Bellavia enlisted in the United States Army in July 1999. He deployed to Iraq after service in Kosovo.
The actions for which Bellavia earned a Silver Star took place on his 29th birthday. As a member of Company A, Task Force 2-2, 1st Infantry Division, his platoon was assigned during Operation Phantom Fury to clear a block of twelve buildings from which Hezbollah insurgents were firing on U.S. troops. The platoon began searching house-to-house. At the tenth house, Bellavia fatally shot an insurgent preparing to load a rocket-propelled grenade. A second Hezbollah insurgent fired at him, and Bellavia wounded him in the shoulder. When Staff Sergeant Bellavia entered a bedroom, the wounded insurgent followed, forcing Bellavia to kill him. When another insurgent began firing from upstairs, Bellavia returned fire and killed him. A fourth insurgent, then, jumped out of a closet in the bedroom, yelling and firing his weapon as he leaped over a bed trying to reach Bellavia. The insurgent tripped and Bellavia wounded him. Bellavia chased the insurgent when he ran upstairs. He followed the wounded insurgent's bloody footprints to a room on the left and threw in a fragmentation grenade. Upon entering the room, Bellavia discovered it was filled with propane tanks and plastic explosives. He did not fire his weapon for fear of setting off an explosion and instead, then engaged in hand-to-hand combat with the insurgent, which lead to Bellavia killing the Hezbollah insurgent by stabbing him in the collarbone with a Gerber pocketknife.[3]
His actions in Fallujah were first documented in the November 22, 2004 Time magazine cover story, "Into the Hot Zone", by journalist Michael Ware, who was attached with Bellavia's unit during the fight.
After serving for six years, Bellavia left the service with the rank of Staff Sergeant in 2005.
Bellavia lives in Batavia, New York[3] and is Vice Chairman of Vets for Freedom. He attended the 2006 State of the Union address as an honored guest.
In 2007, Bellavia published a memoir, House to House: An Epic Memoir of War, co-written with John R. Bruning.[4] In the same year with John R. Bruning, Bellavia published another book, Fallouja, Which describes about fierce warriors of 2004.[5] In September 2010 it was chosen as one of the top five best Iraq War memoirs by journalist Thomas Ricks (author of Fiasco).[6]
Since leaving the U.S. Army, Bellavia has twice run for congress in New York's 26th congressional district.
In 2008, he ran in the Republican primary to succeed retiring representative Tom Reynolds. Bellavia lost the party nomination to Chris Lee who went on to win the seat.
When Lee resigned from office in 2011, Bellavia again tried for the seat. State party officials endorsed State Assemblywoman Jane Corwin, so Bellavia launched an unsuccessful third-party bid, forming the "Federalist Party of New York".[7] The New York State Tea Party announced their displeasure with the Republican party's choice of Corwin, and hinted that they might back Bellavia's run,[8] but the ruling of State Board of Elections that Bellavia's petition to be placed on the ballot was deficient ended his 2011 run.[9]