Iowa Native Seated with First Lady Michelle Obama at State of the Union 2011: Seating Chart Places Giunta Near Tucson Shooting Representatives

Iowa native U.S Army Staff Sgt. Salvatore Giunta is scheduled as one of First Lady Michelle Obama's guests in the official First Lady's Box sitting area at the 2011 State of the Union Address on January 25, 2011.

Giunta, a native of the Eastern Central Iowa community of Hiawatha, was presented the first Medal of Honor bestowed upon a living solider from conflicts in Iraq or Afghanistan during a ceremony with President Barak Obama in the East Room at The White House on November 16, 2010 .

The U.S. Army Staff Sgt. was honored for his heroic performance to protect wounded fellow soldiers during an insurgent attack on October 25, 2007 on a rocky ridge in the Korengal Valley, Afghanistan.

Read more about Giunta's story in "Remarks by the President in Awarding the Medal of Honor to Staff Sergeant Salvatore A. Giunta" posted on The White House website.

Giunta Seated With Green Family and Hernandez
The 2011 State of the Union Address seating chart places Giunta between representatives of the recent Tucson shootings, according to a seating chart posted on The White House website.

John and Roxanna Green, parents of Tucson shooting victim Christina Taylor, are scheduled to sit to Giunta's right. Daniel Hernandez, a Congressional Intern for U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords, is scheduled to sit to the left of Giunta. Hernandez is a junior at The University of Arizona and a Director with the Arizona Students' Association.

Other Guests Sitting With Michelle Obama
A variety of guests -- ranging from small business owners to elected officials -- are scheduled to sit with the First Lady.

Among the additional guests scheduled to sit in the First Lady's Box for the 2011 State of the Union Address include Dr. Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden; Philip M. Schiliro, Assistant to the President and the Director of the Office of Legislative Affairs; Gary and Robert Allen, recipients of $500,000 from the Recovery Act; Ursula M. Burns, vice chair of the President's Export Council; Amy Chyao, first place winner of the Gordon E. Moore Award at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair; Kendra Baker and Zachary Davis, business partner recipients of a Recovery Act SBA loan of $250,000; and Jim Houser, a small business owner affected by the Affordable Care Act.

Sources and Suggested Further Reading:
The White House: The State of the Union, Tuesday January 25, 2011, Winning the Future
City of Hiawatha: State of the City Address
The White House: Remarks by the President in Awarding the Medal of Honor to Staff Sergeant Salvatore A. Giunta
The White House Blog: President Obama Presents the Medal of Honor to Staff Sergeant Salvatore Giunta: "We're All in Your Debt"