President Biden will award three Medals of Honor for combat heroism in Iraq and Afghanistan, including one to the first Black veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the White House said Friday.
Mr. Biden will recognize the three men in a White House ceremony on Dec. 16.
The Medal of Honor is typically given posthumously to fallen soldiers who committed extraordinary acts of bravery and valor. More than a dozen medals have been given to those who served in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Among the soldiers who will receive the nation’s highest military honor is Sgt. 1st Class Alwyn Case, who died in November 2005 from injuries sustained while pulling soldiers from a burning vehicle in Iraq.
Case will be the first Black veteran of America’s two most recent wars to receive the honor. His family and military advocates have pushed for years for the government to honor him.
Master Sgt. Earl Plumlee, a Green Beret who received the Silver Star in 2015, will also receive the Medal of Honor. He was injured fighting off Taliban soldiers who attacked a base in Afghanistan. His actions saved the life of a wounded soldier.
Sgt. 1st Class Christopher Celiz will be honored posthumously. He was on his fifth deployment to Afghanistan in July 2018 when he was killed during a firefight in Afghanistan.
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.
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