An Army veteran who courageously defended a besieged mountain outpost in Afghanistan when his men were outnumbered 6 to 1 by Taliban fighters received the Medal of Honor at a White House ceremony yesterday.
President Obama lauded former Staff Sgt. Clinton Romesha’s bravery in the daylong battle, and paid tribute to eight of his comrades who died in the fighting at Combat Outpost Keating on Oct. 3, 2009.
“These men were outnumbered, outgunned and almost overrun,” Obama said. “The attackers had the advantage, the high ground, the mountains above, and they were unleashing everything they had: rocket-propelled grenades, heavy machine guns, mortars, snipers taking aim,” he said.
In addition to those killed in the daylong fighting, 22 GIs were wounded — including Romesha, who was peppered with shrapnel from a rocket-propelled grenade.
But he steered fellow soldiers to safety, led a counterattack and personally killed at least 10 of the attackers. He repeatedly charged into enemy fire to rescue wounded Americans and recover the bodies of the dead.
Romesha, 31, fought back tears as the president hailed him. Relatives of his brothers in arms wept as they observed the moving ceremony.
“I’m feeling conflicted with this medal I now wear,” Romesha said afterward. “The joy comes from recognition for us doing our jobs as soldiers on distant battlefields, but is countered by the constant reminder of the loss of our battle buddies, my battle buddies, my soldiers, my friends.”
With Post Wire Services