Medal of Honor recipient Leroy Petry, injured in Afghanistan, will be honored at Daytona

Upon being presented with the Medal of Honor for his actions in combat in Afghanistan, Master Sergeant Leroy Petry shared the credit with his fellow servicemembers. "To be singled out is very humbling," Petry said after receiving the Medal of Honor from President Barack Obama on July 12, 2011. "I consider every one of our men and women in uniform serving here and abroad to be our heroes." Daytona is honoring Petry and two more United States Army veterans who were awarded the Medal of Honor at the Coke Zero Sugar 400. They will take part in a luncheon, drivers meetings and pre-race ceremonies. | Coke Zero 400 tickets MORE: Honoring Gary Littrell | Honoring Don Jenkins “Recognizing Medal of Honor recipients is one of the most important traditions we have at Daytona International Speedway,” said speedway President Chip Wile. “This recognition is rooted in our facility’s history, while also being embedded in the values all Americans hold dear. It is a true privilege to have these American heroes join us for our race weekend.” Petry is a 38-year-old Army Ranger from Santa Fe, New Mexico, who lost his hand picking up a grenade thrown at his fellow Rangers while conducting a rare daylight raid on a Taliban compound in eastern Afghanistan's Paktya Province on May 26, 2008. Petry already had been shot through both legs and injured by another grenade. "I actually didn't think it was going to go off," Petry told The Army News Service about the grenade. "I didn't really feel much pain. I didn't know it had gone off and taken my hand until I sat back up and saw it was completely amputated at the wrist." Petry re-enlisted after the injury, intending to serve 20 years with the Rangers. He and his wife Ashley have four children: Brittany, Austin, Reagan and Landon. MORE: NASCAR Salutes military spouses Read Master Sergeant Petry's full official Medal of Honor citation: Staff Sergeant Leroy A. Petry distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty in action with an armed enemy in the vicinity of Paktya Province, Afghanistan, on May 26, 2008. As a Weapons Squad Leader with D Company, 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Staff Sergeant Petry moved to clear the courtyard of a house that potentially contained high-value combatants. While crossing the courtyard, Staff Sergeant Petry and another Ranger were engaged and wounded by automatic weapons fire from enemy fighters. Still under enemy fire, and wounded in both legs, Staff Sergeant Petry led the other Ranger to cover. He then reported the situation and engaged the enemy with a hand grenade, providing suppression as another Ranger moved to his position. The enemy quickly responded by maneuvering closer and throwing grenades. The first grenade explosion knocked his two fellow Rangers to the ground and wounded both with shrapnel. A second grenade then landed only a few feet away from them. Instantly realizing the danger, Staff Sergeant Petry, unhesitatingly and with complete disregard for his safety, deliberately and selflessly moved forward, picked up the grenade, and in an effort to clear the immediate threat, threw the grenade away from his fellow Rangers. As he was releasing the grenade it detonated, amputating his right hand at the wrist and further injuring him with multiple shrapnel wounds. Although picking up and throwing the live grenade grievously wounded Staff Sergeant Petry, his gallant act undeniably saved his fellow Rangers from being severely wounded or killed. Despite the severity of his wounds, Staff Sergeant Petry continued to maintain the presence of mind to place a tourniquet on his right wrist before communicating the situation by radio in order to coordinate support for himself and his fellow wounded Rangers. Staff Sergeant Petry's extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service, and reflect great credit upon himself, 75th Ranger Regiment, and the United States Army.