President Joe Biden will present Presidential Medals to seven former US Army soldiers and eight public safety officers, recognizing their extraordinary acts of bravery and selflessness that put their own lives at risk, Bloomberg reports.
The awards will honor individuals who have demonstrated exceptional courage in combat and in service to their communities.
The Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest military award for valor, will be awarded to several veterans of the Korean War, all posthumously: Bruno R. Orig, Wataru Nakamura, Fred B. McGee, Charles R. Johnson, and Richard E. Cavazos. Orig, Nakamura, and Johnson were killed in action. Hugh R. Nelson, Jr., who died in the line of duty in 1966, and Kenneth J. David, will also receive the medal for their service in Vietnam. The Medal of Honor is awarded to members of the armed forces who distinguish themselves by going above and beyond the call of duty while engaged in combat.
In addition to the military honors, eight individuals will receive the Medal of Valor, the highest award for courage bestowed upon public safety officers. The Medal of Valor was established in 2001 through legislation co-sponsored by then-Senator Biden.
The Medal of Valor recipients include five members of the Nashville Police Department: Jeffrey Mathes, Rex Engelbert, Michael Collazo, Ryan Cagle, and Zachary Plese. These officers are being recognized for their heroic actions in running towards gunfire to stop a shooter who killed six people at the Covenant School in Nashville in 2023.
Two New York City firefighters, John Vanderstar and Brendan Gaffney, will also receive the Medal of Valor. Vanderstar is being recognized for his daring rescue of a mother and her child from a burning apartment, while Gaffney will be honored for saving two unconscious victims from another apartment fire. Lastly, Lincoln, Nebraska Police Sergeant Tu Tran is being recognized for risking his life to save a woman from drowning in a freezing pond.
These awards highlight the incredible bravery and dedication of these individuals who put themselves in harm’s way to protect others.
This announcement follows President Biden’s presentation of the Presidential Citizens Medal to former Representative Liz Cheney and Representative Bennie Thompson on Thursday. They are being honored for their leadership of the congressional committee that investigated the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol.
