Medal of Honor recipient remembers sergeant major killed in Iraq: 'We were going to avenge that man'

Former U.S. Army Staff Sgt. David Bellavia, a Medal of Honor recipient, said Memorial Day is a time for him to take stock and reflect on whether he is living his life in a way that honors those who were lost.

"I speak for myself when I say that Memorial Day for me is a day of inventory," said Bellavia on Fox Nation's "Modern Warriors: A Memorial Day Special," hosted by fellow veteran and Fox News co-host Pete Hegseth.

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"What kind of a man am I?" he continued. "Because we believe that these men that we lost [at] such a young age and prematurely, what would they have been if they were 45?"

Bellavia was joined in this special edition of "Modern Warriors" by fellow veterans Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Johnny "Joey" Jones, Staff Sgt. Nate Boyer, and Lt. Col. Dan Rooney, who continues to serve in the 301st fighter squadron.

Each man told the stories of fellow service members who sacrificed their lives for the country.

Bellavia remembered Command Sgt. Maj. Steve Faulkenburg, who was killed during the second battle of Fallujah while leading his troops and a group of wounded Iraqis through an ambush.

"If he decided to take a job as an elementary principal, he would be a horrible failure," joked Bellavia, who fought alongside Faulkenburg in Fallujah. "But luckily, he chose to be a sergeant major in the infantry."

"His greatest legacy is the fact that he raised sons like they were his own," he continued, "He was our surrogate father."

Bellavia recalled that Faulkenburg was 45-years-old when he was killed -- an age that a younger Bellavia considered being beyond comprehension

"At that time, I thought that was the oldest thing in the world," he joked again, "His hips breaking down. His knees didn't work. He had a permanent scowl on his face."

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"That's how old I am right now," Bellavia said -- turning somber. "And to think of all these men that we lost, they're never going to go through these spaces of life that we go through and just take for granted.

"The one thing that the families of the fallen should know is that, in my circumstances, when we lost Falkenberg, we fought with a reserve that we never knew was humanly possible."

"Had it not been for that direct sacrifice -- I don't know if we make it through. I don't know if we're as tenacious as we were because come hell or high water, we were going to avenge that man and we were going to make him proud," Bellavia concluded. "He's the reason why we were there and we were going to fight like demons until we defeated that enemy."

On June 25, 2019, President Trump presented the Medal of Honor to Bellavia for his actions as a squad leader during the second Battle of Fallujah, making Bellavia the first living Iraq War veteran to receive the recognition.

In a previous episode of Fox Nation's "Modern Warriors", Hegseth sat down with Bellavia to talk about the experience.

"As far as knocking down doors and shooting guys, it was always -- you kick down the door and there's a guy with an AK.  He just ran into a house and you ran into him and its the O.K. coral," remembered Bellavia.

MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENT DAVID BELLAVIA ON THE SECOND BATTLE OF FALLUJAH 

In the Medal of Honor ceremony, President Trump recounted Bellavia's heroism.

"He quickly encountered an insurgent who was about to fire a rocket-propelled grenade at his squad. David once again jumped into danger and killed him before he had a chance to launch that grenade," said the president.

"Next, two more insurgents came out of hiding and fired at David.  He returned fire, killing them both.  Then, a third assailant burst out of a wardrobe... and opened fire.  David shot and wounded the man, but he escaped up the stairs.  Racing after him, David engaged in hand-to-hand combat and killed him, too," read the president.

To watch all of "Modern Warriors: Medal of Honor Special" visit Fox Nation and join today.

NEW SUBSCRIPTIONS TO FOX NATION INCLUDE A DONATION TO 'FOLDS OF HONOR' TO SUPPORT MILITARY FAMILIES