https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/a...ears-c35c95fhg
Alwyn Cashe will be first black soldier to win Medal of Honor in 50 years
An American soldier who died rescuing comrades from a burning vehicle in Iraq is set to become the first African American to be awarded the highest gallantry medal since the Vietnam war.
The family of Sergeant First Class Alwyn Cashe are waiting to hear whether
President Trump will approve the Medal of Honor, equivalent in status to the Victoria Cross, after unanimous backing by the US Senate.
In October 2005 Sergeant Cashe, 35, was in a Bradley fighting vehicle in Samarra when it hit an improvised explosive device. He was showered with diesel from the punctured fuel tank but succeeded in pulling six other soldiers from the vehicle before he became overwhelmed by flames.
He refused medical attention until his comrades were rescued. He died from second and third-degree burns to 75 per cent of his body. Three other soldiers also died.
He was awarded a posthumous Silver Star, the third highest gallantry medal, after army officials ruled that the vehicle was not under enemy fire at the time, one of the stipulations for considering a Medal of Honor.
However, after further investigation it emerged that Sergeant Cashe had been under constant fire as he rescued the six soldiers.
It has taken 15 years for his heroics to be fully recognised. A law stipulated that upgrades could be approved only within five years. The Senate finally agreed to waive the rule on Tuesday.
Sergeant Cashe’s sister, Kasinal White from Lake Butler, Florida, discounted racism as a factor, saying that it was the lack of information that led to the decision to award only a Silver Star.
Of the 3,500 service members who have earned America’s highest military decoration since 1861, only 92 were black, according to the Congressional Medal of Honor Society.
The last African American to receive the award was Marine Sergeant Major John Canley for his actions in the
Battle of Hue in 1968. He is still alive and only received the medal in 2019 in a ceremony at the White House with Mr Trump.