President Biden awards Medal of Honor to three soldiers who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan.
An Army sergeant who helped rescue six soldiers out of a burning vehicle in Iraq despite being engulfed in flames himself was one of three soldiers awarded the Medal of Honor on Thursday by President Joe Biden.— the first Black soldier to receive the country's highest military honor for combat actions in Iraq or Afghanistan — was accepted by his widow, Tamara. Cashe died from his injuries in a Texas burn unit in 2005, just weeks after the ambush attack.
Biden praised all three as"outstanding soldiers" during the ceremony at the White House, and said their"actions embodied the highest ideals of selfless service." "He bravely continued to take care of his soldiers and evacuate them to the very best of his ability, one after another one after another," Brito said."He had to be in unbearable pain" but kept going back until they were all clear.
Brito advocated for Cashe to get the award."Whether it took 12 weeks, 12 months or in this case 12-plus years, we were committed to it and the legacy of Sgt. 1st Class Cashe deserves it," he said. Celiz, a South Carolinian, enlisted in the Army in 2006, two years after graduating high school. He married Katie a year later, and they have a daughter, Shannon, who's 11.
When the medical evacuation helicopter arrived, Celiz used his body to physically shield soldiers who were evacuating the injured soldier. With the chopper under fire, Celiz stayed behind to try to fight off the attackers, and waved for it to take off even after he'd been hit himself.