Inside the Pentagon is the Hall of Heroes, with more than 3,500 names of distinctive service members from American Military History.
A new name from Western New York is now among them.

Former Staff Sergeant David Bellavilla joined the ranks in a ceremony at the Pentagon Wednesday.

The distinction came one day after the president awarded him the Medal of Honor at the White House, the highest military award a member of the military can receive.
“Everything was just magic and I was floating and then I turned too early and then he reminded me that I turned too early,” Bellavia said. “It just kinda brought me back down to like don’t screw this up! You know what I mean? Everything they told you and I was so nervous and everything!”

While Bellavia didn’t say much at the White House, he gave a thunderous and touching speech to his military family at the Pentagon.

“The White House is foreign to me because we’re soldiers, but the Pentagon, this is my Army family, this is a totally different address because people that are like us, and we have to be reminded of why we do what we do,” he said.

Defense officials say it was Bellavia’s actions during his tour of duty in Iraq that warranted the honor.
It was November 10, 2004, while serving as a squad leader during Operation Phantom Fury in Fallujah, where Bellavia took it upon himself to save others.
A squad from his platoon was pinned down inside a house by enemies in a close combat firefight.
Bellavia entered the house and singlehandedly neutralized five insurgents, saving his men’s lives.
A point he brought up multiple times in his speech: these awards weren’t just for him but for everyone who sacrificed.

“I think the uniform, I think the army, has made us all better men, fathers, employees, husbands, and citizens,” he said.