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President Trump on Monday presented the Medal of Honor to Ronald J. Shurer, an army doctor known for saving the lives of his teammates during a 2008 battle in Afghanistan.
Now, Shurer faces another battle: Trump said at the ceremony that Shurer had been battling lung cancer for a year and a half.
"He was brave, he fought, he worked, he did everything he could," said President Trump. "He fights every day with courage, strength and he is a warrior."
Evan Vucci / AP
In the midst of his fight against cancer, Shurer continues to serve his country, as a member of the US secret service counter-strike team, which protects the president against possible attacks.
"Today, it's a really special day for us here at the White House, because Ron is working here on our side," said Trump.
He said he called Shurer and his wife Miranda in the Oval Office to inform them that Ron would receive the highest military honor in the country. "It was a moment I will never forget," Trump said.
The US Army
Shurer was awarded the medal for his actions during the Battle of Shok Valley. On April 6, 2008, early in the morning, Shurer was one of the last US Special Forces soldiers to get out of a Chinook helicopter and land in the Shok Valley in eastern Afghanistan. There was a moment of calm as the soldiers began to climb a steep hill – when suddenly, all around Shurer exploded.
According to an account of what happened in the US Army, Shurer's unit received many shots, including rocket propelled grenades, small arms fire and machine guns. The advanced attack team was stuck and suffered multiple injuries. That's when Shurer went into action. Ignoring his own safety, Shurer sprinted through the fire to reach the high-tech team and heal the wounded.
Shurer's heroic actions, which have been fired several times to help the wounded, have saved the lives of all wounded US soldiers during the battle. Shurer is the 11th soldier of the US Army to receive the medal of honor for his actions in Afghanistan and the 15th overall of this war.
The US Army
Although the White House and the Department of Defense have recognized Shurer's heroism, he gives full credit to his teammates.
"This price does not belong to me. This price would not exist without the team. If they did not do their job, I would not have been able to do my job, "Shurer said.
A legacy of service
Shurer grew up no stranger to military service. His grandfather was a veteran of the Second World War. His parents were both airmen. He spent the first years of his life traveling around the country until his family was stationed at McChord Air Force Base in Washington State, where Shurer went to high school.
Shurer attended Washington State University and attended a graduate program when the events of September 11, 2001 prompted him to join the military in 2002.
Two years later, Shurer started the process to become a green beret. He deployed twice in Afghanistan before being released honorably in 2009.
The US Army"What we have never seen before"
During this second deployment to Afghanistan, Shurer was part of the Alpha Task Force Alpha of 3 Special Forces Group, associated with several dozen Afghan commandos, sent to kill or capture terrorist leaders of militant group Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin in the valley. from Shok.
While the militants rained blows on Shurer's unit, he heard someone shout his name. Shurer ran at the time, the staff sergeant. Ryan Wallen, a friend who was injured in the neck by a burst.
The battle raged. "We are not going on a mission where we do not expect to meet resistance, but it was nothing like what we had experienced before," said Shurer.
In order to join the team before immobilized, Shurer has pioneered a few hundred meters, killing several activists along the way. When he arrived at the unit, he treated four seriously wounded US soldiers and ten Afghan soldiers.
At one point, a bullet went through a soldier's arm and hit Shurer's helmet. "I had the impression of being hit on the head with a baseball bat," Shurer said.
"But Ron was not finished yet. He charged the mountain again and joined the fight. Not a single American died in this brutal battle, largely due to Ron's heroic actions, "said Trump.
Shurer provided help and helped suppress the enemy's fire for five and a half hours. Finally, Shurer developed a plan for using a nylon strap to lower the wounded soldiers who could not get off an almost vertical cliff to evacuate them. He protected the victims with his own body.
"We used tubular nylon straps to wrap the guy's shoulders and lower them to the next group. We did it as carefully as possible to avoid causing other injuries. And then we just repeated this process down the hill, "Shurer said.
The US Army
Thanks to Shurer's actions, all American soldiers survived the battle. Two Afghan commandos were killed, including the team's interpreter, Edris Khan. Shurer's middle name is Edris, in the honor of the deposed interpreter.
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