See You on the High Ground

SFC Jared Monti sacrificed himself attempting not once but three times to rescue one of his squad members from the “kill zone” after his patrol came under attack by insurgents on a mountain in Afghanistan.  He declared, “He’s my guy. I’m going to get him.” In doing so, Jared was able to draw enemy fire away from the rest of the patrol and buy time for air support to arrive. Upon suffering a direct hit from an RPG, the 30-year-old recited the “Lord’s Prayer” as he lay dying. His last words were, “I’ve made peace with God. Tell my family I love them.”

"I've come to the conclusion that this was his destiny," confesses his mother Janet. "It's the only way I can deal with it. This is what he was meant to do." His father, my childhood friend Paul, has been unable to throw out anything of his son’s. His house is crowded with boxes of Jared’s personal belongings and he continues to drive his Dodge Ram truck. Songwriter Connie Harrington heard a radio interview with Paul inspiring “I Drive Your Truck” which became the #1 country song in America.

“The actions we honor today were not a passing moment of courage. They were the culmination of a life of character and commitment,” said President Barack Obama as he posthumously presented Jared with the Medal of Honor on September 17, 2009.  The soldier known as “The Gift  of God” to the Afghanis died a heroic death but, more importantly, lived  a heroic life. This is the  story of that life