And I won't forget the men who died ...

When someone asks you who had the right stuff, you tell them Sergeant First Class Paul Ray Smith, U.S. Army, did. He believed in what he was fighting for, believed in who he was fighting with, and he paid the ultimate price, with his life.

If tomorrow all the things were gone,
I’d worked for all my life.
And I had to start again,
with just my children and my wife.

Because of him, say his fellow soldiers, 100 American fighting men and women are alive today and able to hug their loved ones. And 50 Iraqi insurgents are dead, many the recipients of hot lead from the smoldering steel barrel of a .50 caliber machine gun manned by SFC Smith as he protected his soldiers from an assault in Iraq two years ago. When the smoke cleared and the assault was pushed back, the 33-year-old patriot and father of two lay dying in the dust, his life and future ebbing away in the heat of the Iraqi desert from a fatal head wound.

I’d thank my lucky stars,
to be livin here today.
‘Cause the flag still stands for freedom,
and they can’t take that away.

In an unsent letter found on his laptop, SFC Smith wrote his parents "There are two ways to come home, stepping off the plain and being carried off the plain. It doesn't matter how I come home because I am prepared to give all that I am to ensure that all my boys make it home."

And I’m proud to be an American,
where at least I know I’m free.
And I won't forget the men who died,
who gave that right to me.

SFC Smith Monday was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor by President Bush in ceremonies at the White House Monday. It was the first Medal of Honor to be awarded in the Global War on Terrorism and the 615th to be awarded posthumously in the 144 years since the first such medal was awarded.

And I gladly stand up,
next to you and defend her still today.
‘Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land,
God bless the USA.

"The Medal of Honor is the highest award for bravery a President can bestow," said President Bush. "It is given for gallantry above and beyond the call of duty in the face of enemy attack. Since World War II, more than half of those have been awarded this medal gave their lives in the action that earned it. Sergeant Paul Smith belongs to this select group."

From the lakes of Minnesota,
to the hills of Tennessee.
Across the plains of Texas,
From sea to shining sea.

"Scripture tells us," continued the President, "that a man has no greater love than to lay down his life for his friends. And that is exactly the responsibility Paul Smith believed the Sergeant stripes on his sleeve had given him."

From Detroit down to Houston,
and New York to L.A.
Well there's pride in every American heart,
and it's time we stand and say.

"On this day two years ago, Sergeant Smith gave his all for his men. Five days later, Baghdad fell, and the Iraqi people were liberated," the President said. "And today, we bestow upon Sergeant Smith the first Medal of Honor in the war on terror. He's also the first to be awarded this new Medal of Honor flag, authorized by the United States Congress. We count ourselves blessed to have soldiers like Sergeant Smith, who put their lives on the line to advance the cause of freedom and protect the American people."

That I’m proud to be an American,
where at least I know I’m free.
And I won't forget the men who died,
who gave that right to me.

"Like every one of the men and women in uniform who have served in Operation Iraqi Freedom, Sergeant Paul Smith was a volunteer," said the president. "We thank his family for the father, husband and son and brother who can never be replaced. We recall with appreciation the fellow soldiers whose lives he saved, and the many more he inspired. And we express our gratitude for a new generation of Americans, every bit as selfless and dedicated to liberty as any that has gone on before -- a dedication exemplified by the sacrifice and valor of Sergeant First Class Paul Ray Smith."

And I gladly stand up,
next to you and defend her still today.
‘Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land,
God bless the USA.

SFC Smith's wife Birgit and daughter Jessica agreed that SFC Smith's 11-year-old son David should accept the Medal of Honor, on his slain father's behalf, from the President.

Thank you vets. God bless you. Welcome home.

Lyrics courtesy of The Lyric Archive. "God Bless the USA," by Lee Greenwood.