President Biden awarded a Vietnam War veteran from Girard the Medal of Honor Friday at the White House.

Kenneth David and his company went under heavy fire and bombardment on a mountaintop in Vietnam on May 7, 1970. He and his men were outnumbered and needed to escape the area.

David proceeded to alert the enemy by yelling, laying suppressive fire, and even throwing grenades to combat the onslaught of bullets and explosives he was facing. 

Troops began to fight their way to David's position which allowed him to take an injured comrade to shelter before David and the other troops caused the enemies to flee. Seven of the men in David's company died that day but 13 other men made it home thanks to his actions that day.

David received the Distinguished Service Cross for his heroics but an upgrade to the Medal of Honor has been sought out for the better part of over 25 years.

"After 54 years, it hasn't set in yet," David told 21 News via Zoom. "I was drafted and being I was brought up in a good home life, I accepted that fact and went in the service. I was lucky to come home."

Below is the story of David's experience the day of May 7, 1970, credited to the Medal of Honor website:

Then-Pfc. Kenneth J. David distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty on May 7, 1970, while serving as a radio-telephone operator with Company D, 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry, 101st Airborne Division, near Fire Support Base Maureen, Thua Thien Province, Republic of Vietnam.

On this date, David's company came under an intense attack from a large hostile force. The enemy’s ferocious initial assault mortally wounded the company’s platoon leader and resulted in numerous other friendly casualties. Upon the initial assault and without hesitation, David handed his radio to his platoon sergeant and moved forward to the defensive perimeter, unleashing a barrage of automatic weapons fire on the enemy. From this location, David bitterly resisted all enemy efforts to overrun his position. Realizing the impact of the enemy assault on the wounded, who were being brought to the center of the perimeter, David – without regard for his own life – moved to a position outside of the perimeter while continuing to engage the enemy.

Each time the enemy attempted to concentrate its fire on the wounded inside the perimeter, David jumped from his position and yelled to draw enemy fire away from his injured comrades and back to himself. Refusing to withdraw in the face of the concentrated enemy fire now directed toward him, he continued to engage the enemy. Although wounded by an exploding satchel charge and running perilously low on ammunition, he tossed hand grenades toward the attackers to effectively counter their fire. The unit’s medic, realizing that David had been injured, moved to his position to provide aid, but David assured him that he was okay and continued to fight on.

David continued to draw enemy fire away from the incoming medevac helicopters, allowing the wounded to be safely evacuated. After allied reinforcements fought their way to his company’s position, David carried a wounded comrade to a sheltered position. He then returned to the contact area and continued to engage the enemy and provide covering fire for the wounded until the enemy broke contact and fled, at which point he too was medically evacuated. David’s conspicuous gallantry, extraordinary heroism and intrepidity, at the risk of his own life, were above and beyond the call of duty and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit and the United States Army.

"It's up to us to give this medal meaning," said President Joe Biden during the ceremony on Friday. "It's up to us to keep fighting for one another and for each other. To keep defending everything these heroes fought for and many of them died for."

Each of the honored helped save lives against enemy attacks. During battles in the Korean War, Gen. Richard Cavazos, Pvt. 1st Class Charles Johnson, and Pvt. Bruno Orig each rescued wounded soldiers, while Pvt. 1st Class Wataru Nakamura and Cpl. Fred McGee bravely led attacks against daunting odds. Spc. 4th Class Kenneth David is the only living recipient presented with the Medal.

During the Vietnam War, David and Capt. Hugh Nelson Jr. rescued comrades injured by enemy attacks. Nelson, Nakamura, Johnson and Orig eventually died in action from their heroic efforts.

David told 21 News he continues to give back to veterans in the Mahoning Valley community.