Honoring Veterans: Army Veteran David Bellavia

David Bellavia was born in 1975 in Buffalo, New York, as the youngest of four boys. He grew up in Waterport, New York, on his grandfather’s stories of serving in the Army during World War II.

Bellavia studied biology and theater at the University of Buffalo before he disappointed himself in hesitating to confront burglars while visiting with his parents in 1998. Driven to become someone his family could depend on, he followed his dream of enlisting in the Army infantry the next year when he was 23.

After 9/11, Bellavia chose to continue serving his country even though it meant a three-year deployment away from his wife and infant son. He served nine months in Kosovo in 2003, then during Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) he spent a year in Iraq with the Ramrods, the 2nd Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division.

Bellavia fought in the Second Battle of Fallujah. Its main conflict lasted from Nov. 7 to Nov. 15, 2004, followed by continued clashes until the city was finally cleared and returned to its people on Dec. 23. He never hesitated during the U.S.’s bloodiest operation of the Iraq War and deadliest engagement since Hue City in the Vietnam War.

Bellavia was recommended for a Medal of Honor for his actions on Nov. 10, 2004, when he risked his life rescuing a squad pinned in a building by insurgent crossfire. After putting himself in the line of fire to let the squad escape, Bellavia went back inside and killed an insurgent preparing an RPG that would have endangered both squads outside. So the squads could safely advance, he singlehandedly cleared the three-story building with his M-16 and a knife, killing three more insurgents and wounding another.

Bellavia finished his six years of service in 2005 before cofounding a Veterans advocacy organization that supported victory in the Iraq War. To do more as part of the war, he covered heavy fighting in Iraq as an embedded reporter working alongside soldiers in 2006 and 2008. In 2007, he wrote a memoir about his experiences in the Iraq War, focusing on the Second Battle of Fallujah. He began hosting a radio talk show in 2012.

On June 25, 2019, Bellavia was awarded a Medal of Honor as the only living OIF recipient and the only recipient from the Second Battle of Fallujah. Afterward, he spent two and a half years using his experiences to recruit people to the Army and returned to radio. In 2022, he published a book telling the story of the brotherhood of the Ramrods he served with in the Iraq War during battle and in peacetime up until their reunion at his award ceremony.

We honor his service.

Nominate a Veteran for Honoring Veterans

Do you want to light up the face of a special Veteran? Have you been wondering how to tell your Veteran they are special to you? VA’s Honoring Veterans social media feature is an opportunity to highlight your Veteran and his/her service.

It’s easy to nominate a Veteran. All it takes is an email to newmedia@va.gov with as much information as you can put together, along with some good photos. Visit our blog post about nominating to learn how to create the best submission.

Writer: Michelle A. Shade

Editors: Tayler Rairigh, Aditya Gulati

Researcher: Paola Negron, Raphael Romea

Graphic Designer: Sydney Burton