Washington, March 2 (IANS) President Donald Trump on Monday awarded the Congressional Medal of Honour to three American soldiers, one living and two posthumously, hailing their “exceptional valour” in World War II, Vietnam, and Afghanistan.
“We recognise the exceptional valour of Master Sergeant Roderick Edmonds… Staff Sergeant Michael Ollis and Command Sergeant Major Terry Richardson, as they received our nation’s highest military award,” Trump said at the White House ceremony.
Master Sergeant Roderick Edmonds was honoured for his actions as a prisoner of war in Germany in 1945. According to the citation read at the ceremony, when German forces ordered that only Jewish American prisoners step forward for roll call under threat of execution, Edmonds directed all 1,200 American prisoners to assemble together.
When the Nazi commandant pressed a pistol against his forehead and demanded he identify Jewish soldiers, Edmonds refused. The citation stated he “fearlessly held his ground,” and the officer lowered his weapon. His actions prevented the segregation of more than 200 Jewish American prisoners and saved their lives.
Command Sergeant Major Terry P. Richardson was recognised for heroism on September 14, 1968, in the Republic of Vietnam. As his company was surrounded near the Cambodian border, Richardson advanced under heavy enemy fire to rescue wounded soldiers and later climbed Hill 222 to direct tactical airstrikes.
Despite being wounded by a sniper, he continued directing air support for seven hours. His “actions directly resulted in 85 lives being spared on that fateful day,” the citation noted. He declined medical evacuation and chose to remain with his unit.
Staff Sergeant Michael H. Ollis was posthumously honoured for actions on August 28, 2013, during a complex Taliban attack in Afghanistan. After accounting for his soldiers at a breached forward operating base, Ollis moved toward the point of attack with only his rifle.
While engaging insurgents, he encountered a wounded Polish officer. As a suicide attacker approached, Ollis intervened and fired on the insurgent. The citation stated that the suicide vest detonated and “mortally wounded him.” His “exceptional courage and complete disregard for personal safety” reflected the highest traditions of military service.
A Polish officer who survived the attack attended the ceremony and paid tribute, saying: “A soldier is not something you are from time to time. It is who you are, who you are forever.” He added, “Michael, thank you for your service, and I will see you in our heavenly homeland.”
The Medal of Honour, established by Act of Congress in 1863, is the highest military decoration in the United States. It is awarded for acts of gallantry “above and beyond the call of duty” and has been conferred more than 3,500 times since the Civil War.
The ceremony also highlighted the long-standing defence ties between the United States and Poland, underscoring coalition cooperation in Afghanistan. For many Americans, the award remains the nation’s most solemn recognition of sacrifice in war, often presented decades after the act of heroism.
–IANS
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