Sgt. Alwyn Cashe Becomes First Black Medal of Honor Recipient Since 9/11

By Alyssa Wilson Published: December 17, 2021

Sgt. Alwyn Cashe Becomes First Black Medal of Honor Recipient Since 9/11

Sgt. Alwyn Cashe was awarded the Medal of Honor on Dec. 16, 2021. (Photo: U.S. Army)

In Summary

Sixteen years after he died from injuries he sustained in Iraq, saving the lives of other soldiers, Sgt. Alwyn Cashe was posthumously given the Medal of Honor.

Sgt. Alwyn Cashe became the first Black person to receive the Medal of Honor from a U.S. president since the 9/11 terror attacks.

President Joe Biden awarded Cash and two other soldiers with the nation’s highest military award for valor in combat on Thursday for their bravery in Afghanistan and Iraq.

“Today, we honor three outstanding soldiers, whose actions embody the highest ideals of selfless service, Biden said. “We also remember the high price our military members and their families are willing to pay on behalf of our nation.”

Cashe sustained fatal injuries after rescuing six of his fellow soldiers from a burning vehicle while working on Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2005, ABC News reported.

According to the Medal of Honor Museum, the vehicle Cashe was in was damaged by an explosive device. After it became covered in fuel and went up in flames, Cashe pulled the driver out of the car and helped other soldiers get out, despite having severe burns covering 70% of his body.He was later transported to the Brooke Army Medical Center at Fort Sam in Houston, Texas. Doctors attempted to stabilize his injuries, but he died on Nov. 8, 2005.

“We remember the strength and the sacrifices of these military families, caregivers and survivors. And we remember and renew our sacred obligation to those who served this nation in uniform,” Biden said.

During the medal ceremony, Cashe’s widow, Tamara Cashe, accepted the posthumous award at the White House. The Florida native enlisted in the Army in July 1989. In 1991, he served in Korea and Germany before serving in Iraq.

Cashe was originally set to only receive the Silver Star award, the Army’s third-highest honor, which he posthumously received on Nov. 11, 2005. Officers spent years advocating Cashe be upgraded for the Medal of Honor as well.

Biden also gave the posthumous honor to Sgt. 1st Class Christopher Celiz, who died in Afghanistan in 2018, and Master Sgt. Earl Plumlee, who was killed in Afghanistan in 2013.

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