In 2008, Army Sergeant First Class Leroy Petry was part of a daylight raid in Afghanistan. Coming under heavy fire from insurgents, he took cover behind a chicken coop with a few of his fellow soldiers. When a grenade landed in their midst, Petry acted immediately. He grabbed it and threw, but the grenade detonated only moments after leaving his hand. His right hand was completely blown off and his arm was ultimately amputated below the elbow. His fellow soldiers, however, were saved. 

In this photo President Obama shakes hands with Petry's unique prosthetic limb before awarding him the Medal of Honor.

Photo credit by SAUL LOEB / AFP / Getty Images