U.S. Army Sgt. First Class to receive Medal of Honor

U.S. Army Sgt. First Class to receive Medal of Honor

Reported By RET B.Lambert December 11, 2021

U.S. Army Sergeant First Class Alwyn Cashe

U.S. Army Sergeant First Class Alwyn Cashe (July 13, 1970 – November 8, 2005) of Company A, 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division, was a United States Army Non-Commissioned Officer posthumously awarded the Silver Star for heroism in Iraq.

The White House made the announcement that U.S. Army Sergeant First Class Alwyn Cashe will receive the Medal of Honor for actions he made on Oct. 17, 2005.

After additional information became known, on November 10, 2020, Congress voted to upgrade his award to the Medal of Honor. On December 4, 2020, President Donald Trump signed into law H.R. 8276, which authorizes the President to posthumously award the Medal of Honor to Cashe. A measure to award Cashe the medal must still be submitted by the Defense Department and approved by the president to finalize the award.

Military Actions for Medal of Honor

On that day, Oct. 17, 2005. Sergeant First Class Cashe saved the lives of multiple soldiers after the vehicle he was in was hit by an explosive device. “He was blown out and he went back in and retrieved all of his passengers, everybody else who was in there, his uniform was on melting off of his body,” retired leader of Seminole County Veterans Services Ed Burford said.

Sergeant First Class Cashe Cashe died from his injuries. He earned a Silver Star for his actions. A formal ceremony for the presentation of the Medal of Honor will be held on Dec. 16, 2021.

Rep. Stephanie Murphy and Rep. Michael Walt authored a bill that made honor possible. Sergeant First Class Cashe previously had been exempted from receiving the Medal of Honor because federal law required it be awarded within five years of the actions.

"I am overjoyed that Alwyn Cashe is being awarded the Medal of Honor. I wish this amazing man were alive to receive it himself," Murphy said.

"America can never fully repay the ultimate debt paid by our heroes like Alwyn Cashe — the best we can do is bestow the nation's highest honor. This is a monumental accomplishment for the entire Cashe family, who has waited 16 years for this moment," Waltz said.

In May 2019, a federal building in Sergeant First Class Cashe’s hometown of Oviedo was named after him.

Then in October, Murphy, Waltz and Rep. Dan Crenshaw sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Mark Esper, asking him to review Sergeant First Class Cashe’s case, wanting to upgrade his merit from a Silver Star to the Medal of Honor. Esper agreed, but said legislation would be needed to waive the five-year time limit. Murphy introduced that bill a short time after. It was approved by both the house and senate in 2020 and signed into law last December.