On October 15, President Barack Obama will award Captain William Swenson with the highest military honor in the Nation.

Swenson joined the United States Army in 2002, and is being acknowledged for his bravery during combat in Afghan National Security Forces in Kunar Province in northeastern Afghanistan on Sept. 8, 2009.

According to the official narrative, “It would be determined after the engagement that Swenson’s actions directly contributed to the preservation of more than a dozen Afghan lives. Swenson was the core of the initial defense and two subsequent rescue efforts. In seven hours of continuous fighting, Swenson braved intense enemy fire, and willfully put his life in danger against the enemy’s main effort, multiple times in service of his fallen and wounded comrades, his unit, his country, and his endangered Afghan partners.”

On February 1, 2011, Swenson retired from the military. Along with the Medal of Honor, his other awards and decorations include, the U.S. Army Parachutist Badge, the Ranger tab, the Combat Infantryman Badge, Bronze Star (2 Oak Leaf Clusters), the Purple Heart, the Army Commendation Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, The Iraq Campaign Medal with two campaign stars, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal with one campaign star, the National Defense Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon (Numeral 2 device) and the NATO Medal.

Swenson invited several family members of those who did not make it out of the battle alive, to attend his ceremony.

The invitation read:

Image via Wikimedia Commons