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WASHINGTON – President Trump awarded the medal of honor on Wednesday to a navy that saved the lives of many soldiers during one of the bloodiest battles of the Vietnam War. He repeatedly charged under enemy fire and safely transported injured Americans for a week.
Sgt. Major John L. Canley was a 30-year-old armored sergeant when he took command of his company after his commander was seriously injured while traveling to the city of Hue early in the morning. the Tet offensive. On Wednesday, Sergeant Major Canley, who retired from the Marines in 1981 and is now 80 years old, went on stage with Mr. Trump in the room decorated with the East Room of the White House to receive the highest recommendation of members of the US Army.
"This is one of my favorite events," said Trump, taking a seat on the stage to pay tribute to the Navy hero, shouting "oo-rah!" From Marines and others present on this occasion. "I like brave people."
The president then told the story of Sergeant Major Canley, born in Caledonia, Arkansas, and stole his brother's papers to enlist in the Marines at the age of 15.
Arriving in Hue in January 1968, Sergeant Major Canley saved for the first time the life of a soldier who had been hit by a rocket and was about to be crushed by a tank, shooting gunshots for recover and transport it to a safe place. Then, when his commanding officer was hit, Sergeant Major Canley stepped in, pushing his troops to Hue to recover the encircled US forces.
"In the days that followed, John guided his business in fog and rain, as well as in fierce house-to-house fighting," Trump said. "He attacked enemy strongholds, killed enemy combatants and, with deadly accuracy, did everything you had to do."
"In every heartbreaking commitment, John risked his own life to save the lives of his subordinates," said Trump.
In a particularly daring maneuver, the president said, Sergeant Major Canley released a school run by North Vietnamese, loading the machine gun with rocket launchers with another Marine, Sgt. Alfredo Gonzalez, who was killed.
"The enemy did not know what was going on," Mr. Trump said.
An announcement of the mention of Sergeant Major Canley's medal on the US Marine Corps website indicated that at one point, "in a hospital complex, he twice climbed a wall at the sight of the enemy to help the wounded Marines and carry them safely. "
Sergeant Major Canley, who has been a navy for 28 years, has already been recognized for her heroism with the Navy Cross, two bronze stars and a purple heart, according to representative Julia Brownley, California Democrat, representing the district where he lives now. He was his guest during Trump's state of the union speech in January.
Ms. Brownley testified that a member of the military service of Sergeant Major Canley contacted her in 2014 to ask him to recommend him for the Medal of Honor, an idea that Jim Mattis, Secretary of Defense, told him said in 2017, suited him well.
But Mattis said Congress should pass a law to lift the five-year deadline for the awarding of the medal of honor. Ms. Brownley sponsored the bill, which was signed in January.
On Wednesday, before setting the medal around Sergeant Major Canley's neck on his blue ribbon, the president marveled at the physical form of the war hero. "You do not seem to be 80," said Trump.
"I asked him this question. I said, "How do you keep fit?" Trump said, "Sergeant Major Canley," he said, "I'm still working, sir."
