bringing the virus with them. remember the children s table? dr. schaffner, i m so sorry to interrupt. we have to get to president biden, who is awarding the medal of honor to three soldiers. this is an appropriate backdrop, abu our hearts are overflowing with gratitude for the courage, and gallantry. it s just hard to explain where the soldiers got the courage they got. late sergeant first-class alwyn cashe. late sergeant first-class chris christopher solis, sergeant
flames on the driver and extracting him from the vehicle, fuel soaked his uniform, igniting and causing severe burns to his body. ignoring his painful wounds, sergeant first class cashe moved to the rear of the vehicle to aid his fellow soldiers tapped in the troop compartment. when another element of the company engaged the enemy, sergeant first class cashe seized the opportunity and moved to the open troop door and aided four soldiers in extracting from the vehicle. he noticed two other soldiers had not been accounted for and again, he entered the building to retrieve them. at this point reinforcements arrived to further suppress the enemy. despite the severe second and third degree burns covering the majority of his body, sergeant first class cashe persevered through the pain to encourage his fellow soldiers and ensure they received needed medical care. when medical evacuation
helicopters began to arrive, sergeant first class cashe selflessly refused evacuation until the other wounded soldiers were evacuated first, in keeping with the highest traditions of the military, service, and reflecting credit upon himself, his unit and the united states army. signed, joseph r. biden, the president of the united states. will the celiz family please accompany the president.
a shield for the aircraft and his crew against the heavy incoming fire. the helicopter began to take off and he put himself directly between the cockpit and the enemy, ensuring the aircraft could depart and sustaining what would prove to be a mortal wound. he knew he was hit. but he waved for the aircrew to depart without him. in the face of extreme danger, he placed the safety of his team and his crew above his own. i can offer no better encapsulation than the words of the u.s. army ambulance pilot in command that day. he said, quote, courage to me is putting your life on the line to save the life of another, as demonstrated by sergeant first class chris celiz who died protecting my crew, end of quote. christopher celiz was courage
1863, has awarded in the name of congress the medal of honor to sergeant first class alwyn c. cashe, united states army, for conspicuous gallantry at risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. sergeant cashe distinguished himself by acts of gallantry while serving as platoon sergeant with company a, third infantry division in iraq on october 17th, 2005. while on a nighttime patrol, the bradley fighting vehicle which sergeant first class cashe was commanding was attacked by enemy fire and an improvised explosive device disabled the vehicle and engulfed it from flames. after extracting himself from the vehicle, sergeant first class cashe extracted the driver who was trapped in the vehicle. sergeant first class cashe and a fellow soldier extracted the driver. in the course of extinguishing