CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y. — Army Staff Sgt. David Bellavia won’t officially receive his Medal of Honor from President Donald Trump for another two weeks but already, he says, everything’s changed.

The radio talk show host and one-time Republican congressional candidate says his focus now isn't his own opinions but the fellow Iraq veterans he represents, as well as families of soldiers who've lost their lives.

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Bellavia spoke with reporters Tuesday, a day after the White House announced he will receive the nation's highest military honor for valor in Iraq in 2004.

It was Bellavia’s 29th birthday and his platoon was clearing buildings in Fallujah when they encountered heavily armed insurgents. Bellavia engaged the attackers, providing cover for his soldiers to get outside. He then re-entered the house and killed several insurgents.

Staff Sgt. David Bellavia, of Lyndonville, N.Y., speaks at a news conference at an Army recruiting station in Cheektowaga, N.Y., Tuesday, June 11, 2019.
Staff Sgt. David Bellavia, of Lyndonville, N.Y., speaks at a news conference at an Army recruiting station in Cheektowaga, N.Y., Tuesday, June 11, 2019. (Carolyn Thompson/AP)
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