Nashua Medal of Honor Recipient to UNH Grads: 'Never Forget Those Who Helped You Reach Where You Are'

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Nashua’s Ryan Pitts, who earned the Medal of Honor for his actions in a 2008 battle of Afghanistan, told University of New Hampshire graduates to cherish others in their lives.

“Appreciate the contributions of others and the impacts they make in your life,” he told nearly 3,000 graduates Saturday.

Pitts, a staff sergeant, was gravely injured by shrapnel when 200 militants launched a rocket attack on his base during the Battle of Wanat on July 13, 2008. Despite nearly bleeding to death, he didn’t retreat, firing at enemy soldiers and lobbing grenades until reinforcements arrived, according to his medal commendation. Nine American soldiers died in the attack.

Here’s how Pitts described that day:

We were standing watch at around 4:30 in the morning when a burst of machine gun fire broke the morning silence and then all hell broke loose as 200 enemy fighters attacked 48 Americans. A split-second later, rocket-propelled grenades and hand grenades exploded within a position I occupied with 8 other soldiers. Immediately, I was immersed in explosions as I dived for cover. I felt like I had just passed through the middle of a thunderstorm that knocked the wind out of me.

As I collected myself, I realized that I had been seriously wounded. I had taken grenade shrapnel in my left heel and calf, entire right leg hip to foot, left arm and forehead. There was limited dexterity in my left hand and I was unable to move my legs. A fellow solider, Jason Bogar, placed a tourniquet on my right leg and I thought I was out of the fight until I looked around and watched everyone else fighting with everything they had. My brothers were undeterred by the enemy fire raining down on us like the violent summer thunderstorms that come out of nowhere. All my brothers were continuing to do their duty in the most hellish conditions I have ever seen. We counted on each other and their dedication compelled me to do my part. They would never let me down and I owed them the same. It was at this point that I crawled back to my fighting position and rejoined the fight.

Standing wasn’t physically possible, but I was able to drag myself around and pull myself into a kneeling position when needed. I fought alongside my brothers like this for a while until our position sounded eerily quiet given the fight raging around us. I crawled around and it was at this point that I discovered I was the only man left alive at the position. My brothers didn’t abandon me; they had seen their duties through to the end. This was the most terrifying moment of my life, I was alone, injured and I could hear the enemy talking around me. I radioed my situation to my commander and he informed me that there wasn’t anyone to send. I wasn’t angry, I understood the scale of the fight and the situation we were in. I accepted that I was going to die and I prepared to make my last stand, but it didn’t come to that. Four of my brothers came for me: Sean Samaroo, Israel Garcia, Mike Denton and Jacob Sones. I have never felt more relieved in my life. No one ordered them to do it. They decided to risk their lives to save mine. Shortly after they arrived, another volley of rocket-propelled grenades slammed our position. Everyone was wounded, Israel mortally. He sacrificed his life for mine.

We consolidated in one of the fighting positions and radioed the situation to our commander. Reinforcements had arrived around this time and men began to move to our position. They came one after another. Then to my further amazement a helicopter landed between us and the enemy. The medics disembarked knowing they might not be able to leave. Sean, Mike, Jacob and I were helped onto that helicopter and flown to a field hospital for treatment.

Pitts left the graduates with this:

The last thought I will leave you with is more a matter of character: never forget those who helped you reach where you are. I cannot talk about the events of July 13th without acknowledging the men who are responsible for providing the opportunity for everything I have today: Sergio Abad, Jonathan Ayers, Jason Bogar, Jonathan Brostrom, Israel Garcia, Jason Hovater, Matthew Phillips, Pruitt Rainey and Gunnar Zwilling. The advice here is simple, appreciate the contributions of others and the impacts they make in your life. That’s it.

After he was discharged, Pitts graduated from UNH’s business program in Manchester. He now works for a software company. He has a wife and a son.

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