It’s been a long time coming, but SFC. Alwyn Cashe (KIA) is finally receiving his much deserved Medal of Honor, posthumously.
Regardless of the moldy Cheeto being the one to finally sign off on it, I’m glad SFC Cashe’s family will receive the payment that comes with the award. Though it can’t replace a lost loved one, it can help them financially.
Iraq War hero Alwyn Cashe is closer to being awarded the Medal of Honor
By David Williams, CNN
Updated 5:51 PM EST, Sat December 05, 2020
(CNN)A fallen US Army sergeant is poised to become the first Black service member to be awarded the Medal of Honor for actions in Iraq or Afghanistan.
Cashe, 35, was on patrol on October 17, 2005, in Samarra, Iraq, when a roadside bomb detonated near the Bradley fighting vehicle he was in. The blast ruptured the vehicle's fuel cell, setting the vehicle on fire and covering Cashe in gasoline. Only slightly injured, he crawled out of the gunner's hatch.
Six soldiers were still inside the vehicle, which was engulfed in flames. Even though his uniform was soaked in fuel, Cashe helped rescue the soldiers from the vehicle and remove the body of an Iraqi translator killed by the explosion.
In doing so, Cashe suffered second and third-degree burns over 70% of his body. The Florida native died from his injuries on November 8, 2005, at a military hospital in San Antonio, Texas.
Three other soldiers — Staff Sgt. George Alexander Jr., 34, of Killeen Texas; Sgt. Michael Robertson, 28, of Houston; and Spc. Darren Howe, 21, of Beatrice, Nebraska — also died of burns suffered in the explosion, according to the Defense Department.
Cashe was posthumously awarded the Silver Star for his heroism, but his family and some former commanders have campaigned for years for him to be recognized with the Medal of Honor.
The president has the sole authority to award the Medal of Honor, but the move has had support from the Pentagon.
In August, then-Secretary of Defense Mark Espersent a letter to the lawmakers saying that Cashe's actions "merit the award of the Medal of Honor." In the letter, he said he would recommend the honor once the time limit was lifted.
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Having been been in both first line supervisory, and squad lead roles. I wondered if I would have it in me to do something like that. It’s weird in combat arms. You, sometimes, spend more time with the guys around you than your own family. They make you laugh, their bullshyt gets you through your days at work. You depend on each other for shyt you didn’t even think you would.
I was about as anti-war/military as you could get before I enlisted, myself. Having left, I still don’t like war, but I gained a new respect for those who find themselves fighting it (as honorably as they can). No matter the situation or affiliation (shyt would have been incredibly brave, even at a car accident scene), SFC Cashe’s actions are greatest example of outright devotion to those we keep around us.
I’ll try to hold on to his example to do better for my siblings, parents, close friends, a potential significant other. Much love to whoever reads this, those you love, and love you too.
