Former U.S. Army Staff Sgt. David Bellavia in Washington ahead of Medal of Honor ceremony

Washington, D.C. (WHAM) - A Batavia man arrived in Washington, D.C. Monday ahead of a meeting with President Donald Trump to be awarded the Medal of Honor.

Former U.S. Army Staff Sgt. David Bellavia will be awarded the honor Tuesday on behalf of Congress for his actions in Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2004 during the second battle of Fallujah. Bellavia's company was tasked with going house to house to search for Iraqi insurgents that had been attacking American troops. During that search, he attacked and killed four insurgents.

Bellavia, a Lyndonville native, is the first living U.S. military veteran of the Iraq War to receive the honor.

The Medal of Honor is the highest personal military decoration that can be bestowed by Congress upon a member of the U.S. military.

The White House states the Medal of Honor is awarded to members of the Armed Forces who distinguish themselves conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of their own lives above and beyond the call of duty.

"It's almost impossible to think...you train for the Olympics because you hope to get a medal, right? You train to go to war so you can go home and you can bring your friends home," said Bellavia. "There's never an award that you're even contemplating."

Monday, Bellavia called the attention awkward, and added he doesn't like reflecting on the day which led to the Medal of Honor - but he is grateful to be with his fellow soldiers.

"You can be victimized by it, you can become prisoner of all of these things, or you could just say, 'Look, what do I feel comfortable talking about. I know I care about these guys, I know they love me. Let's talk about those people that we love. Let's talk about why this is ours," he said.

Tuesday afternoon, the terminal canopy of the Greater Rochester International Airport will be lit in red, white and blue in honor of Bellavia.

13WHAM News will be in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday at the White House for the ceremony and will bring you reports live from the nation's capital.