Army staff sergeant receives Medal of Honor for actions during Afghanistan war battle

President Obama presents the Medal of Honor for conspicuous gallantry to Clinton Romesha, a former active duty Army Staff Sergeant, at the White House February 11, 2013 in Washington, DC. / Win McNamee/Getty Images

President Obama today awarded the Medal of Honor to Clinton Romesha, a former active duty Army staff sergeant, for his courageous actions during what Mr. Obama said has been described as "one of the most intense battles of the entire war of Afghanistan."

The Medal of Honor is the nation's highest military decoration and "reflects the gratitude of our entire country," Mr. Obama told Romesha from the East Room of the White House, where his entire troop was honored.

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Medal of Honor recipient on battle of Keating

As the section leader of his troop, at Combat Outpost Keating in Afghanistan's Nuristan Province, Romesha led a fight against a nearly overwhelming Taliban attack. On Oct. 3, 2009, nearly 300 insurgents armed with automatic rifles and rocket-propelled grenades surrounded the outpost, where 53 Americans were stationed.

"To those Americans down below, the fire was coming from every single direction, they'd never seen anything like it," Mr. Obama remarked.

In an interview with CBS News correspondent David Martin, Romesha described the fighting that day as "unreal" and "up close and personal." After receiving the medal today, Romesha said, "I'm grateful that some of the heroes of Combat Outpost Keating are here with us. Any one of them will tell you were were not going to be beat that day."

Eight U.S. soldiers were killed, and more than 20 Afghan security troops were captured. Romesha suffered his own injuries but nevertheless tended to his comrades and called in air strikes to attack the enemy. The air strikes gave some soldiers cover to reach an aid station, while Romesha retrieved the bodies of fallen soldiers.

Romesha is the fourth living recipient to be awarded the Medal of Honor for actions in Iraq or Afghanistan. He specifically was serving as a Section Leader with Bravo Troop, 3d Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division. He now works in oil field safety and lives in Minot, N.D., with his wife and three children.

[sisyphusredux]

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you


Much more apropos from Kipling.

[e1r2n3i4e5]

What a fine example of a warrior, how proud Americans must be of this young man. I am so sorry for the 8 men that lost their lives during that fight yet pleased to see god spared this man and the rest of his troop. You could see the anguish in his eyes over the loss of his buddies, had he of teared I would have melted myself.Thank you Mr Obama for decorating this man and thank you CBS for this article on the news tonight. Edward

[sgt101]

Watched evening news with report. Correspondent's comment that nothing was gained; is he saying that 8 men died for nothing? Consider that comment totally inappropriate and a disservice to all veterans.

[logictoo]

This brave American apparently did not ask himself: What would Obama do in this situation? --Talk about awards watered down, Obama accepted the Nobel Prize for Peace not for what he has done but for what he is going to do. He might as well award himself the congressional.---I am grateful for Americans such as Sgt. Romesha and salute his courage.

[KansasCity-2012]

Congratulations! I hope all the terrors of combat can be put behind him and he can find joy in his life.

[CuriousServant]

Astonishing. Nearly 300 against 53... and only 8 dead, and capturing 20 of the enemy. Astonishing.

[Bojax39]

Since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on June 28, 2012, that the Stolen Valor Act was an unconstitutional abridgment of the freedom of speech under the First Amendment, any cowardly moron who wants to falsely claim to be a Medal Of Honor recipient can do so with impunity.

This means that the honor is watered down for those who indeed earned it.

[higg187]

Halfway down the trail to hell
In a shady meadow green,
Are the souls of all dead troopers camped
Near a good old-time canteen
And this eternal resting place
Is known as Fiddler's Green.

Marching past, straight through to hell,
The infantry are seen, '
Accompanied by the Engineers,
Artillery and Marine,
For none but the shades of Cavalrymen
Dismount at Flddlers' Green.

Though some go curving down the trail
To seek a warmer scene,
No trooper ever gets to Hell
Ere he's emptied his canteen,
And so rides back to drink agaln
With friends at Fiddlers' Green.

And so when man and horse go down
Beneath a saber keen,
Or in a roaring charge or fierce melee
You stop a bullet clean,
And the hostiles come to get your scalp,
Just empty your canteen,
And put your pistol to your head
And go to Fiddlers' Green.

[Bojax39]

You're invited to give the Green a miss and slink on down the trail to your appropriate destination.