In a solemn ceremony at the White House on Thursday, three U.S. soldiers were honored with the nation’s highest military award.
Two sacrificed their lives saving others – including the man who just became the first Black recipient of the Medal of Honor since the Vietnam War.
A mother and daughter received the Medal of Honor three years after their husband and father, Army Ranger Christopher Celiz, used his body to shield a battlefield casualty in Afghanistan.
“I’m in awe that he would be so selfless,” said his wife, Katie Celiz. “But that’s who Chris was. I wouldn’t have expected anything less.”
Eight years ago, Master Sergeant Earl Plumlee stepped into the breach to stop a suicide attack on his outpost in Afghanistan.
When he saw 10 guys coming at him, he said he thought he “would be killed.” What do you think when you’re going to be killed? “Try and take a few of them with me,” Plumlee said.
Sixteen years ago, Sergeant First Class Alwyn Cashe pulled his soldiers from a burning vehicle in Iraq.
“Flames that are just spewing out of every port out of the Bradley vehicle,” said Lieutenant Colonel Leon Matthias, who was there. “He’s going in and out of the Bradley trying to pull them out one by one. It’s just an intense inferno.”
Colonel Jimmy Hathaway arrived on the scene.
“Here’s Sergeant Cashe, who’s been burned 70-odd percent or so of his body, who’s still standing up, still walking, still pushing everybody to take care of his boys, as he would say, first,” Hathaway said.
Cashe and three other badly-burned soldiers were Medevaced to the United States. His older sister Kasinal was at his bedside. He was still worried about his boys.
“He was like, ‘just please tell them to fight,'” Kasinal Cashe-White said. “‘They can do this.'”
One by one the soldiers died.
.”He was the last one to pass away,” Hathaway said.
Ever since, Cashe’s sister has been leading the campaign to recognize his sacrifice.
“I just want to know that Sergeant First Class Alwyn C. Cashe has been awarded the medal of honor that he earned,” Cashe-White said.
Honor delayed, but no longer denied.
