A Salute to Medal of Honor Recipient, Sal Giunta

I want to take a break from the discussion of virtual worlds to pay attention to the real one for a moment. I'm not sure if you watched it this weekend, but 60 Minutes put together an excellent piece about Salvatore Giunta, a brave young soldier who will be awarded the Medal of Honor at the White House by President Obama tomorrow.

SSgt Salvatore Giunta

SSgt Giunta is the first military member since the Vietnam War to receive the military's highest honor after having survived the event that won him that award, and according to the 60 Minutes piece:

"Staff Sgt. Giunta earned this honor for his actions on a remote hilltop in eastern Afghanistan on the night of Oct. 25, 2007, for repeatedly running into enemy fire to save American lives and rescue a fellow soldier from the hands of the Taliban."

Regardless of your politics, your feelings about the military, or your take on war and violence in general; SSgt Giunta is deserving of our collective respect for his bravery, his courage under fire, his inspiring commitment to his fellow soldiers, and the sacrifices he has made for all of us.

So, I ask you to take a break and appreciate this young man for a moment. And, while you're hanging out in Second Life or wherever you enjoy playing and gaming, just pause a few minutes to remember the brave men and women who are - right now - fighting and dying so that we can all enjoy the peace and privilege of a safe and secure homeland.