Sgt. Dakota Meyer was born and raised in Columbia, Kentucky, and enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 2006. A school-trained sniper and Marine infantryman, Meyer deployed to Iraq for Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2007, and to Afghanistan for Operation Enduring Freedom in 2009. His personal awards include the Medal of Honor, the Purple Heart Medal, the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with “V” device for valor, the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal and the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal.
Meyer completed his active duty in 2010 and now serves in the Individual Ready Reserve of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve. Since returning to civilian life he continues to work to tell the stories of the Marines with whom he served. He also has completed undergraduate college coursework and currently is employed by McDan, Inc. a Kentucky construction company.
For his bravery at the battle of Ganjigal in eastern Afghanistan, Dakota Meyer became the first living Marine in three decades to receive the Medal of Honor. In an excerpt from Into the Fire: A Firsthand Account of the Most Extraordinary Battle in the Afghan War, co-written with Bing West, he recalls his tough transition back home to Kentucky.
A Medal of Honor recipient talks about war, homecoming, and his new project to help veterans land jobs.
