In between his calls for help, Monti was using his own rifle to engage the enemy. Suddenly he noticed that a young private named Brian Bradbury was badly wounded, unable to move, desperately exposed to enemy fire. Another sergeant said he would run out and try to save Bradbury, but Sgt. Mark James heard Monti say no.
“I remember him saying that Bradbury was his guy, so he was going to be the one to go get him back and bring him back to us,” says James.
But with bullets flying, Monti had to take cover. He ran out a second time, but the enemy fire got more intense, so he stopped and yelled for help. Risking his life yet again, he then ran out a third time to try to save Bradbury.
“We knew he was going to get Bradbury — then we all kind of heard him scream,” recalls James.
Monti was mortally wounded and knew he was dying. So his family was in his final thoughts, which still touches his dad back in Massachusetts.
“He said the Lord’s Prayer and he said, ‘Tell my family I love them,’ ” recalls Paul Monti, struggling to control his emotions. “And that’s about the most meaningful thing that there is. That he thought of us in his last moments.”
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