Romesha Receives Medal of Honor - KXNet - Bismarck/Minot/Williston/Dickinson

Romesha Receives Medal of Honor

An Army veteran who now lives in Minot joined an elite group today.

Former Staff Sergeant Clinton Romesha received the Medal of Honor from President Barack Obama at the White House this afternoon.

Sergeant Romesha retired from the Army a couple of years ago and now lives in Minot while working in the oil field.

More now on the newest Medal of Honor recipient.

October 3rd, 2009 was a bad day for US soldiers in Afghanistan.

(President Barack Obama) "The explosions shook them out of their beds and sent them rushing for their weapons and soon the awful odds became clear: these 53 Americans were surrounded by more than 300 Taliban fighters."

It was especially bad at a place called Command Outpost Keating - a place some surviving soldiers seemed like the Alamo.

(President Barack Obama) "COP Keating, the investigation found, was tactically indefensible. That's what these soldiers were asked to do. Defend the indefensible."

Eight US soldiers died that day at COP Keating.

(President Barack Obama) "Private First Class Kevin Thompson, Sergeant Michael Scuza, Sergeant Joshua Kirk, Sergeant Christopher Griffin, Staff Sergeant Justin Gallegos, Staff Sergeant Vernon Martin, Sergeant Joshuah Hardt, and Specialist Stephan Mace."

And were it not for the decision making, courage, and bravery of Staff Sergeant Clinton Romesha, the toll almost certainly would have been higher because the enemy had the fewer than 60 American soldiers on the run - they had even breached the walls of the compound.

(President Barack Obama) "Keating, it seemed, was going to be overrun and that's when Sergeant Romesha decided to retake that camp. Clint gathered up his guys and they began to fight their way back."

Not only did Clint and the others push back, they ran a gauntlet of fire to recover the bodies of their eight comrades who had been killed.

(President Barack Obama) "So he and his team started charging as enemy fire poured down and they kept charging, 50 meters, 80 meters, ultimately 100 meter run through a hail of bullets and they reached their fallen friends and they brought them home."

In the crowd at the White House, families of the eight men who died in love of their country and each other - plus many of the unit that had been pinned down in that indefensible valley in Afghanistan. And after the applause had died, Romesha talked about the mixed emotions he felt in now wearing the Medal of Honor.

(Clint Romesha, Medal of Honor Recipient) "I'm feeling conflicted with this medal I now wear. The joy comes from recognition for us as soldiers on distant battlefields, but it's countered by the constant reminder of the loss of our battle buddies, my battle buddies, my soldiers, my friends."

Romesha was born in California, but since leaving the Army, has lived in Minot and works in the oil fields. Jim Olson, KX News.

Just how ferocious was the battle on October 3rd, 2009 that killed eight US soldiers in Afghanistan?

The battle resulted in 37 Army Commendation Medals, 27 Purple Hearts, 18 Bronze Stars, Nine Silver Stars, and today's awarding of the Medal of Honor.