Vicenza , Italy ( CNN ) -- He 's only 25 now , an Army paratrooper stationed at the headquarters of the 173rd Airborne at a sprawling base near Vicenza in northern Italy . As the first living recipient of the Medal of Honor since the Vietnam War , Sal Giunta has had plenty of media attention heaped on him . But this staff sergeant is determined to make the medal , at least symbolically , belong to others . `` When I first heard that they were putting me in for the Medal of Honor , I felt lost , I felt kind of angry , I felt , I think , angry , '' he said in an exclusive interview . `` Just because , you know , this is so big . This is , it came at such a price . It came at the price of a good buddy of mine , not just Brennan . But Mendoza . Mendoza died that night as well . And people want to put a medal around my neck . '' Giunta is talking about one of his best Army friends , Sgt . Josh Brennan , whose life he tried to save during a vicious firefight in eastern Afghanistan 's Korengal Valley in the fall of 2007 . Giunta 's squadron , with Brennan walking as `` point '' -- or first man in the front -- was trapped in a deadly ambush by Taliban fighters during a nighttime operation . The squadron 's medic , Hugo Mendoza of El Paso , Texas , was caught with the rest of the group . Share your tributes to Sgt . Brennan and Spc . Mendoza . `` People congratulate me on a good job when there 's two people that have basically given their entire lives for this mission , for the Army , for the people of the United States of America , '' Giunta said . `` And now , I 'm gon na be the one they are gon na shake hands with and congratulate ? It did n't seem real and at the same time , what did seem real was that this should n't happen . '' Giunta , whose armor-plated vest took a bullet during the ambush , saw Taliban fighters dragging away Brennan . Army documents say he immediately began to fire at the two men dragging his buddy away , killing one and driving off the other . Giunta pulled the badly-wounded Brennan to protective cover and stood by him until medical help arrived . Brennan , whose father is a policeman in Madison , Wisconsin , died from his wounds the next day . `` It is a great thing , '' Giunta said , speaking of the Medal of Honor . `` But it is a great thing that has come at a personal loss to myself and so many other families . '' And that , he said , is what he wants Americans to know . `` Absolutely , '' he said . `` And not it 's just the soldiers out there doing it . It 's their families . It 's their parents . It 's the Mike Brennans of this world . And Mendoza 's parents , you know . His brothers and sisters . The families that we leave when we go do this . '' `` It 's not just , we 're gon na go fight , but we 're gon na leave our families for a while and hope that they can be taken care of , '' the sergeant explained . `` It 's a sacrifice that everyone makes , and these two men on that day made the biggest sacrifice anyone can ever make . And it 's not for a paycheck . '' Giunta 's Medal of Honor ceremony will take place in November at the White House . And while his friends Brennan and Mendoza ca n't be there with him , he knows who can be . And he wants as many of his squadron mates as possible at the presentation .
Staff Sgt . Sal Giunta is the first living recipient of the Medal of Honor since Vietnam . The medal was awarded to Sgt. Giunta saves buddy from Taliban kidnapping , but Brennan dies of wounds the next day .