Bellavia, a Lyndonville native, to receive Medal of Honor
Photo by Tom Rivers: Lyndonville native David Bellavia, an Iraq War veteran with the U.S. Army, was keynote speaker during a July 24, 2016 banquet for the New York Warrior Alliance at the Hickory Ridge Country Club in Holley.
David Bellavia, a Lyndonville graduate who enlisted in the Army and fought in the second battle of Fallujah, will be the first living veteran of the Iraq War to receive the Medal of Honor.
Bellavia, 43, of Batavia previously was awarded the Silver Star. Army Times and other media outlets are reporting he will receive the nation’s highest honor.
Bellavia works as a radio talk show host for WBEN. He is being recognized for his actions in combat against insurgents. He was part of a campaign that took the heavily fortified city.
Bellavia wrote a book that detailed his experiences as a staff sergeant in Fallujah. He wrote House to House: An Epic Memoir of War with John R. Bruning, describing the efforts of front line forces in urban combat against insurgents.
In 2005, Bellavia was inducted into the New York Veterans’ Hall of Fame. He has been active in politics, twice running for Congress. He also has been an advocate for veterans in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
He is to receive the Medal of Honor on June 25 at the White House.
