President Trump Awards The Medal Of Honor To Sgt. Maj. Thomas 'Patrick' Payne

Daily Mail: Delta Force soldier receives Medal of Honor from Donald Trump for raid that freed more than 70 Iraqi hostages from an ISIS prison

* Sgt. Maj. Thomas 'Patrick' Payne, 36, was awarded the Medal of Honor Friday in a White House ceremony
* Donald Trump bestowed the valor award on the 19th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks
* Payne is the first living Delta Force member in history to receive the highest military decoration
* Payne was honored for his part in the October 22 2015 mission where his team rescued 70 hostages in Iraq
* He and his comrades faced enemy gunfire to rescue people set to be executed by Islamic State militants
* Trump praised him as 'one of the bravest men anywhere in the world' and a 'revered American hero'
* Ashley, wife of Payne's teammate Master Sgt. Josh Wheeler who died in the mission, joined the ceremony
* Highly-decorated Payne joined the Army in 2002 and has been deployed 17 times to combat zones
* Trump was recently accused of calling US war dead 'suckers' and 'losers' in a bombshell report by the Atlantic

A Delta Force soldier received the Medal of Honor from Donald Trump Friday for his role in the raid that freed more than 70 Iraqi hostages from an Islamic State prison compound back in 2015.

Sgt. Maj. Thomas 'Patrick' Payne, 36, was awarded the prestigious valor award in a ceremony at the White House on what marked the 19th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks.

The event makes Payne the first living Delta Force member in history to receive the honor.

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More News On President Trump Awarding The Medal Of Honor To Sgt. Maj. Thomas 'Patrick' Payne

Soldier Awarded Medal of Honor on Anniversary of 9/11 Attacks That Inspired Him to Fight -- Military.com
Trump awards Medal of Honor to military hero who freed more than 75 hostages in Iraq -- FOX News
Trump awards the Medal of Honor to Army Ranger on 9/11 anniversary -- CNN
Profile: Medal of Honor Recipient Sgt. Maj. Thomas Patrick Payne -- Breaking Defense

Medal of Honor Recipient, Former Green Beret Ronald Shurer, Dies At 41 From Cancer

FOX News/AP: Medal of Honor recipient dies; saved lives in Afghanistan

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Former Army Staff Sgt. Ronald Shurer II, who received the Medal of Honor in 2018 for braving heavy gunfire to save lives in Afghanistan, has died of cancer. He was 41.

Miranda Shurer said her husband died Thursday in Sibley Memorial Hospital in Washington, D.C. She said he was diagnosed with cancer three years ago.

Ronald Shurer II received the nation's highest military honor from President Donald Trump in a formal White House ceremony attended by 250 people.

“He was an amazing man. Obviously, he is known for being an amazing soldier,” Miranda Shurer said. “The same characteristics that made him a great teammate in Special Forces also made him a great husband and a great father and a great friend. He was very loved.”

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WNU Editor: He touched many lives. Former Army Staff Sgt. Ronald Shurer II Medal of Honor citation is here .... Army Staff Sgt. Ronald Shurer II (Medal of Honor).

He Received A Medal Of Honor, 2 Silver Stars, 6 Bronze Stars, And 8 Purple Hearts En Route To 115 Confirmed Kills

A highly decorated Hooper prior to his retirement. (Army)

Military Times: He received a Medal of Honor, 2 Silver Stars, 6 Bronze Stars, and 8 Purple Hearts en route to 115 confirmed kills

Joe Ronnie Hooper’s service record remains one of the more difficult to fathom combat resumes in United States military history.

Throughout the course of his Army career — one that came in the wake of a three-year Navy enlistment — the Piedmont, South Carolina, native who was raised in Washington state earned two Silver Stars, six Bronze Stars, and eight Purple Hearts, among an abundance of other accolades.

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WNU Editor: It is the eight Purple Hearts that strikes me.

First Living Medal of Honor Recipient From Iraq War Announced

Staff Sgt. David Bellavia. (Screenshot via DVIDs)

Military.com: Fallujah Vet Will Be First Living Medal of Honor Recipient from Iraq War

A former Army staff sergeant who took on enemy fighters at close range, first with an M249 light machine gun and then with a knife, will be the first living veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom to receive the Medal of Honor, Military.com has learned.

David S. Bellavia, 43, of Batavia, New York, will have his Silver Star upgraded to the highest military award for valor in a June 25 ceremony at the White House, a source close to Bellavia confirmed to Military.com. The news of the award was first posted at the American Legion's Burn Pit blog Thursday and then confirmed by Army Times. The White House is expected to announce the award next week.

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WNU Editor:  The first living Medal of Honor Recipient from the Iraq war.

Medal Of Honor Recipient Dakota Meyer Explains Why He Hates His Medal

President Barack Obama awards Sgt. Dakota Meyer the Medal of Honor Sept. 15, 2011. Meyer is the first living Marine recipient of the Medal of Honor for actions in Iraq or Afghanistan. (Photo by Lance Cpl. Daniel Wetzel).

Task & Purpose: Dakota Meyer explains why he hates his Medal of Honor

Receiving the Medal of Honor is the worst thing that ever happen to former Marine Sgt. Dakota Meyer, he told the military podcast Zero Blog Thirty.

In September 2011, Meyer became the first living Marine to receive the Medal of Honor since the Vietnam War. When his team was ambushed by more than 50 Taliban fighters, Meyer braved intense enemy fire to save 36 U.S. and Afghan troops.

Yet in an interview Thursday with the podcast, Meyer said he still blames himself for not being able to reach four Marines trapped by enemy fire sooner. It took him five attempts to fight through the ambush to reach the Marines, who were dead when he arrived.

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WNU Editor: We all have a cross to bear. Dakota Meyer has his.

Former U.S. Army Special Forces Medic Staff Sgt. Ronald Shurer II To Receive Medal Of Honor For Valor In Afghanistan

Staff Sgt. Ronald Shurer II will receive the Medal of Honor for his actions during a fierce firefight April 6, 2008, in Afghanistan. (Courtesy photo)

Army Times: Former Special Forces medic to receive Medal of Honor for valor in Afghanistan

An Army Special Forces soldier will receive the Medal of Honor for fighting through an enemy ambush and saving his teammates' lives 10 years ago in Afghanistan, the White House announced Friday.

Former Staff Sgt. Ronald Shurer II, who had already received a Silver Star for his actions, will be honored with the nation’s highest award for valor by President Donald Trump during an Oct. 1 ceremony at the White House.

Shurer served as a Special Forces medic with 3rd Special Forces Group.

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More News On Former U.S. Army Special Forces Medic Staff Sgt. Ronald Shurer II To Receive Medal Of Honor For Valor In Afghanistan

President Donald J. Trump to Award the Medal of Honor -- White House
Former Army medic Ronald J. Shurer II to receive Medal of Honor -- Stars and Stripes
Shok Valley medic to receive Medal of Honor -- Army Times
Army Special Forces Medic Will Get Medal of Honor for Afghanistan Heroism -- Military.com
Medal of Honor: Heroic combat medic to receive nation's highest military honor -- USA Today
Trump to award Medal of Honor to combat medic -- CNN
Former Bragg soldier to receive the Medal of Honor -- The Fayetteville Observer

13 Incredible Stories Of American Servicemen Who Won The Medal Of Honor

A military aide holds the Medal of Honor before U.S. President Donald Trump awarded it to James McCloughan, who served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War, during a ceremony at the White House in Washington, U.S. July 31, 2017. Reuters

Business Insider: 13 incredible stories of American servicemen who won the Medal of Honor — the military's highest honor

The Medal of Honor is the highest and most prestigious award that can be given to American servicemen for distinguished service in the field of battle.

Since it was first given in 1863, the medal has been awarded only 3,517 times, 19 of which were double awards.

Today, the medal is given to any soldier who has distinguished themselves "conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while engaged in an action against an enemy of the United States."

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WNU Editor: In the above post thelast story is on Dakota Meyer for his actions at the Battle of Ganjgal on September 8, 2009, in Kunar Province, Afghanistan. What he did was heroic, but there is a story behind his story, and that is when he learned that he was to receive the Medal Of Honor, he made the point that if there was a man who should receive such a recognition for what happened in that battle it should not be him .... it should be this man .... When Will Captain Will Swenson Get His Medal Of Honor? (January 15, 2013). Captain Swenson finally did get his Medal of Honor in Octover, 2013. His official citation is a must read (link here).

This U.S. Soldier's 'Medal Of Honor' Was Classified 'Top Secret'

Hiroshi Miyamura. Photo from Wikimedia Commons.

James Elphick, Task & Purpose: America’s first 'top secret' Medal of Honor went to a Nisei fighting in Korea

Hiroshi Miyamura was born to Japanese immigrants in Gallup, New Mexico, in 1925. This made him Nisei — Japanese for “second-generation.”

At the outbreak of World War II, Miyamura witnessed many of his fellow Nisei being shipped off to internment camps. Gallup, however, was not located within the relocation zone, and even if it was, the townspeople were ready to stand up for their Japanese neighbors.

Safe from the internment camps, Miyamura enlisted in the US Army volunteering to serve with the famed Nisei 100th Battalion, 442nd Regimental Combat Team. Unfortunately for Miyamura, by the time he reached Europe to join the unit, Germany had surrendered.

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WNU Editor: A truly remarkable story.

Hat tip to Fred for this link.

The Incredible Story Of Second World War Medal Of Honour Recipient Capt. Arthur Jackson.

The Marine behind the "One-Man Assault" was laid to rest today.
Semper Fidelis, Capt. Arthur Jackson. pic.twitter.com/XMDvJc9bn4

— Military Support (@MilitaryEarth) June 23, 2017

WNU Editor: Semper Fidelis, Capt. Arthur Jackson.

U.S. Airman Left For Dead By A SEAL Team 6 Unit Was Actually Alive And Fought Alone In A 2002 Battle Against Al Qaeda

Tech. Sgt. John Chapman is being considered for the Medal of Honor. (U.S. Air Force)

New York Times: SEAL Team 6 and a Man Left for Dead: A Grainy Picture of Valor

An airman with the unit is being considered for the Medal of Honor after new video analysis suggested that he fought alone bravely in a 2002 battle on an Afghan peak.

Britt Slabinski could hear the bullets ricochet off the rocks in the darkness. It was the first firefight for his six-man reconnaissance unit from SEAL Team 6, and it was outnumbered, outgunned and taking casualties on an Afghan mountaintop.

A half-dozen feet or so to his right, John Chapman, an Air Force technical sergeant acting as the unit’s radioman, lay wounded in the snow. Mr. Slabinski, a senior chief petty officer, could see through his night-vision goggles an aiming laser from Sergeant Chapman’s rifle rising and falling with his breathing, a sign he was alive.

Then another of the Americans was struck in a furious exchange of grenades and machine-gun fire, and the chief realized that his team had to get off the peak immediately.

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Update #1: New review of surveillance video of a 2002 Afghanistan firefight generates controversy (FOX News)
Update 2: Air Force Seeks Medal Of Honor For CT Native Who Died In Afghanistan, NYTimes Reports (Hartford Courant)

WNU editor: If approved, this would be the first Medal of Honor awarded based solely on technical evidence and not eyewitness reports.

How To Earn A Medal of Honor

President Obama Presents The Medal of Honor to Vietnam War Helicopter Commander Lt. Col. Charles Kettles

CNN: Obama awards Medal of Honor to Vietnam War helicopter commander

(CNN)President Barack Obama on Monday awarded the Medal of Honor to Retired Lt. Col. Charles Kettles, who served in the Army during the Vietnam War and is credited with saving the lives of 40 soldiers.

Obama, while presenting the highest military award to Kettles, 86, called his story "a wonderful inspiration," adding that the takeaway from his bravery is not just "a creed for our soldiers."

"It should be a creed for all of us," Obama said at a White House ceremony. "This is a country that's never finished in its mission to improve, to do better, to learn from our history, to work to form a more perfect union. And at a time when, let's face it, we've had a couple of tough weeks, for us to remember that goodness and decency of the American people and the way we can all look out for each other, even when times are tough, even when the odds are against us, what a wonderful inspiration."

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More News On President Obama Presenting The Medal of Honor to Vietnam War Helicopter Commander Lt. Col. Charles Kettles

Obama presents Vietnam veteran Charles Kettles with Medal of Honor -- CBS/AP
Vietnam Veteran Charles Kettles Awarded Medal of Honor -- NBC
Obama Awards Medal of Honor to Vietnam Vet Who Saved Dozens of Lives -- ABC News
Obama presents Vietnam War veteran with Medal of Honor -- US News and World Report
Vietnam Vet Who Saved 44 U.S. Soldiers Awarded Medal of Honor -- Washington Free Beacon
Veteran receives Medal of Honor for acts in battle that looked ‘like a bad Rambo movie’ -- Washington Post
A Medal of Honor – and inspiration for nation in turmoil -- CSM

Should A U.S. Soldier's Rank And Seniority Be Determining Factors If He Or She Is Entitled To The Medal Of Honor?

Army Times: The 'absolutely insane' reason this Green Beret didn't get the Medal of Honor

A Green Beret credited by his command with taking down several enemy and saving hundreds of lives during an ambush in Afghanistan was doing the job expected of a soldier of his caliber — and therefore his actions didn't meet the standard of the Medal of Honor.

This sure-to-be controversial conclusion was drawn by a member of the Senior Army Decorations Board tasked with considering Sgt. 1st Class Earl Plumlee's nomination for the top valor award, according to a newly released Defense Department Inspector General report.

The board member, whose name is redacted, said the bar for obtaining the MoH should be much higher for a senior NCO like Plumlee "versus a private."

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Update: Investigation shows the real reason the Army denied a soldier the Medal of Honor (Washington Post)

WNU Editor: The above video is from last year. What's my take .... WTF?!?!?! Is this how U.S. military medals are awarded?

Medal of Honor Recipient Wants To Go Back To War

President Barack Obama presents the Medal of Honor to Navy Senior Chief Petty Officer Edward C. Byers Jr. during a White House ceremony, Feb. 29, 2016. Byers received the medal for actions while serving as part of a team that rescued an American civilian held hostage in Afghanistan in 2012. DoD photo by EJ Hersom

Matt White, Virginia-Pilot/Washington Post: Navy SEAL Medal of Honor recipient wants to go back to war. Why that's a rarity.

On Monday, Navy Senior Chief Edward Byers was awarded the nation's highest combat honor for his role in a hostage rescue mission. Byers is believed to be first service member to ever earn the Medal of Honor while assigned to the secretive SEAL Team 6, based in Virginia Beach. But it is his plans for the future that could make him even more unique: Byers wants to return to combat.

"This honor carries with it some obligations that I need to carry out," Byers told the Post last Friday in an interview at the Pentagon. "But, I plan to continue doing my job as normal and to continue being a SEAL."

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WNU Editor: No comment necessary.

This Medal Of Honor Recipient Still Wants To Serve

Navy Senior Chief Petty Officer Edward C. Byers Jr. gives remarks outside the West Wing after a ceremony honoring him with the Medal of Honor at the White House in Washington, D.C., Feb. 29, 2016. DoD photo by EJ Hersom

Kimberly Dozier, Daily Beast: Is This a Hero SEAL’s Final Mission?

Edward Byers, Jr. just became the first SEAL in 40 years to win the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest military award. It won’t be his last fight, if he has a say.

Navy SEALs are supposed to operate in the shadows. Once their names are known—once they come into the light—their careers on the front lines are typically over. But officials swear that a hero SEAL—the newest Medal of Honor recipient—will be allowed to go on secretive missions, if that’s what he really wants.

“It’s up to him to decide,” said a senior military official after Monday’s White House ceremony to award Senior Chief Special Warfare Operator Edward Byers, Jr., 36, the nation’s highest military honor.

Byers is the first living, active-duty SEAL to receive the award in 40 years, for his role in rescuing an American doctor kidnapped by militants in Afghanistan in December 2012.

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Update: This graphic shows how Navy SEAL Edward Byers earned the Medal of Honor (Washington Post)

WNU Editor: No one is going to stop him on what he wants.

President Obama Presents Medal of Honor To Navy SEAL Edward Byers

Washington Post: A SEAL Team 6 member steps out of the shadows to receive the Medal of Honor

In the darkness of a single-room building in Afghanistan, Navy Senior Chief Edward C. Byers Jr. had little time to react: A fellow Navy SEAL had just been shot in the head during a hostage rescue mission, and it wasn’t clear who else in the room wanted to kill the American team.

Byers burst in anyway, shooting a Taliban fighter who had an automatic rifle aimed at him. Another man scrambled to the corner of the room where another rifle was stored, so Byers tackled him and then tried to adjust his night-vision goggles to see whether he was the American hostage. The hostage, lying five feet away, called out in English, so Byers killed the insurgent he was straddling and then hurled himself on top of the hostage to protect him from gunfire. At the same time, Byers pinned another enemy fighter to the wall with a hand to the throat until another SEAL shot the militant.

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More News On President Obama Presenting The Medal of Honor To Navy SEAL Edward Byers

Special: Medal Of Honor -- US Department of Defense
Navy SEAL receives Medal of Honor at White House ceremony -- AP
President Obama Presents Medal Of Honor To Navy SEAL Hero -- NPR
Obama awards medal of honor to Navy SEAL -- The Hill
SEAL receives Medal of Honor for valiant acts in Afghanistan -- FOX news
Obama awards Medal of Honor to Navy SEAL for daring hostage rescue -- USA Today
Navy SEAL Edward Byers Breaks Secrecy, Receives Medal of Honor -- NBC
Navy SEAL receives Medal of Honor for hostage rescue -- CNN
Member of Navy SEAL Team 6 receives Medal of Honor at White House ceremony -- New York Daily News

This Is Why Chief Special Warfare Operator (SEAL) Edward C. Byers Jr. Will Receive The Medal of Honor This Monday

Military.com: Navy SEAL Details Harrowing Mission to Rescue Hostage in Afghanistan

Senior Chief Special Warfare Operator Edward Byers is just looking forward to getting back to work.

On Monday, the 36-year-old SEAL will receive the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military award, for his role in the daring 2012 hostage rescue of an American aid worker, Dr. Dilip Joseph, in Afghanistan. But don't expect him to rest on those laurels.

In a Feb. 25 interview with Military.com, Byers said he has no intention of drawing his 17-year military career to a close, and may choose to stay on in the special warfare community even after he reaches the 20-year retirement threshold in 2018.

"As long as I continue to enjoy my job, I'm going to continue doing it," he said. "I love my job now; it's the greatest job in the world."

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U.S. Navy SEAL (Senior Chief Special Warfare Operator) Edward Byers To Receive The Meal Of Honor

(Photo: DoD)

Navy Times: Navy SEAL to receive Medal of Honor for U.S. civilian rescue in Afghanistan

A senior enlisted SEAL will be the first sailor in a decade to receive the Medal of Honor, for a mission to rescue an American civilian hostage in Afghanistan in 2012, according to a Tuesday release from the White House.

President Obama will present Senior Chief Special Warfare Operator (SEAL) Edward Byers with the nation's highest award for valor in a Feb. 29 ceremony at the White House, the release said.

Byers’ actions were so clearly beyond expectation, even for a Navy SEAL, that the Navy had no hesitation in nominating him for the Medal of Honor, according to a defense official familiar with his case, but not authorized to speak publicly about it, told USA Today.

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More News On U.S. Navy SEAL (Senior Chief Special Warfare Operator) Edward Byers To Receive The Meal Of Honor

SEAL Who Rescued Doctor in Afghanistan to Receive Medal Of Honor -- Military.com
Role in 2012 Hostage Rescue Earns Medal of Honor for Navy SEAL -- US Department of Defense
Navy SEAL to receive Medal of Honor for hostage rescue -- CNN
Navy SEAL to receive Medal of Honor for 2012 hostage rescue -- Washington Post
Obama to award Medal of Honor to Navy SEAL for daring rescue -- The Hill
Dramatic Taliban hostage rescue earns Navy SEAL the Medal of Honor -- USA Today

U.S. Medal of Honor, A History (Video)

Army Capt. Florent A. Groberg Receives Medal of Honor in White House Ceremony

Department of Defense: Army Captain Receives Medal of Honor in White House Ceremony

Retired U.S. Army Capt. Florent "Flo" Groberg was born in Poissy, France, May 8, 1983. Groberg became a naturalized U.S. citizen, Feb. 27, 2001, and graduated from Walter Johnson High School in Bethesda, Md., in June of the same year.

Groberg attended the University of Maryland, College Park (UMD) and competed in varsity track and cross country. In May 2006, Groberg graduated from UMD with a bachelor's degree in criminology and criminal justice.

Groberg entered the Army in July 2008 and attended Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning, Ga. He received his commission as an infantry officer, Dec. 4, 2008. After completing Infantry Officer Basic Course, Mechanized Leaders Course, U.S. Army Airborne and U.S. Army Ranger Schools, he was assigned to the 4th Infantry Division at Fort Carson, Colo., as a platoon leader.

More News On Army Capt. Florent A. Groberg Receiving The Medal of Honor in White House Ceremony

Capt. Flo Groberg receives Medal of Honor: 'On his very worst day... he showed guts' -- Army Times
Obama awards Medal of Honor to US Army captain -- AP
Obama awards Medal of Honor to French-born U.S. Army captain -- Reuters
Obama awards Medal of Honor to Army captain who tackled suicide bomber -- McClatchy News
Army Capt. Florent Groberg receives the Medal of Honor for confronting Afghan suicide bomber -- Washington Post
Medal of Honor Awarded to Army Captain Who Tackled Bomber in Afghanistan -- New York Times
Army Captain Awarded Medal of Honor for Tackling Suicide Bomber -- WSJ
Former Army captain who tackled suicide bomber awarded Medal of Honor -- FOX News
Obama awards Medal of Honor to Afghanistan veteran -- CBS
Army Captain Who Tackled Suicide Bomber Receives Medal of Honor -- ABC News
Obama awards Medal of Honor to Army captain -- CNN
Obama bestows Medal of Honor on soldier who showed 'guts' in suicide attack -- USA Today
Medal of Honor recipient: On his worst day, 'he managed to summon the best' -- Anna Mulrine, CSM