Medal of Honor (2018–…): Season 1, Episode 2 - Edward Carter - full transcript
On March 23, 1945, Carter, a 28-year-old infantry staff sergeant, heroically acted when the tank on which he was riding was hit by bazooka fire. Carter then led three soldiers across an ...
[narrator] More than 40 million Americans
have served
in the United States armed forces.
Of those, fewer than 3,600 have been
awarded the military's highest honor.
[bomb dropping]
- Whoa! Don't touch the weapon.
- Chocolate.
[ ♪♪♪ ]
- Whoa! You want candy?
- Candy.
- Don't touch my weapon.
- Candy.
You want candy?
[bomb exploding]
[Ronald Reagan]
Where did we find such men?
We find them
where we've always found them.
In our villages and towns,
on our city streets, in our shops,
and on our farms.
[Dwight H. Johnson]
Summoned a degree of courage
that stirs wonder and respect
and an overpowering pride in all of us.
[George W. Bush]
It recognizes gallantry
that goes above and beyond
the call of duty.
[Barack Obama]
We may not always hear of their success,
but they are there, in the thick
of the fight, in the dark of night,
achieving their mission.
[man] Normally, when someone hears
the term "the one percent"
what comes to mind
is that one percent Americans
who have such a disproportionate amount
of the wealth of our great country,
but there's another one percent.
That's the one percent
that has served our country in uniform.
Sergeant Romesha is
an even smaller part of that one percent
that serves, because not only
had his father served in Vietnam,
indeed in the same division in which
Sergeant Romesha ultimately served.
But his grandfather
served in World War II, as well.
There's something special
about how each son or daughter feels
this quiet but intense need to serve,
to continue the legacy of one's family.
And that's particularly true
in the post 9/11 period,
uh, after which everyone who raises
his or her right hand
realizes that he or she is volunteering
for the military at a time of war.
[aircraft engine roars]
[man] Holy shit!
[female newscaster]
This just in. You are looking at
obviously a very disturbing
live shot there.
[male newscaster] It does not appear
that there's any kind
of an effort up there yet.
- Now remember... Oh, my God!
- [woman] Oh, my God! My...
[male newscaster 2] I think we have
a terrorist act of proportions
that we cannot begin to imagine
at this juncture.
My goodness!
[man] On my orders,
the United States Military
has begun strikes
against Al-Qaeda terrorist training camps
and military installations
of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan.
[Petraeus] There had been this sense
that the enemy's action
began where the road ended.
And so for several commanders
in Afghanistan
there was an intent
to continue to extend the road,
and as you extended the road,
you would establish a combat outpost
to secure that road.
And the idea was that you would have
this spreading inkblot of security
and that would enable further extensions.
It was an attempt
to bring peace to the region,
and Combat Outpost Keating
was one of those camps,
but it is also, as it happens,
one of the deadliest parts of Afghanistan.
[gunshot]
Sounds like it came
from behind the switchbacks.
Red Patrol squad leaders,
get me a sit rep on your squad.
[squad leader 1]
Red One, accounted for.
[squad leader 2]
Red Two, accounted for.
[squad leader 3]
Red Three, accounted for.
[rear soldier] Tracks are old. These
fuckers haven't been here in a while.
Yeah. Probably just haven't set up
since we flagged it.
Maybe we should switch up
our patrol route.
[rear soldier] Okay.
[man] We'd do two patrols a day,
per platoon,
so we knew, all right,
that's a good spot where they could
possibly attack from or shoot at us from.
Clint was a really strong
section sergeant.
I've been in the Army for a few years now
and I wouldn't take anybody over Romesha.
Ever.
Ah, this is the spot.
Good cover.
Looking right fucking down on us.
Line of sight on LRAS 1,
LRAS 2,
TOC,
front gate.
[softly, to himself] Son of a bitch!
Raz, if that's my last Dr. Pepper,
you're digging the piss tubes next week.
[sniggers]
[man] When I had first got there,
I just, like, looked up,
and I, like, did a circle
and it was just mountains all around me.
And you're like,
"What in the fuck is goin' on here?"
[Petraeus] Combat Outpost Keating,
called "COP Keating,"
is about as far out
as any of the outposts
that we had in Afghanistan.
[Tapper] In that part of the country,
you're either on a mountain
or at the bottom of a mountain.
Combat Outpost Keating was
placed at the bottom
of three steep mountains.
Why it was put at the bottom
of three steep mountains,
uh, is really just an example of how,
in the military, quite often, you have
five bad choices in front of you
and you just have to pick
the least horrific one.
[Raz] It's hard to defend
and you're an easy target.
Everything you're looking at is up.
[chuckles]
[Larson] Started looking around
and going, "Oh, man!
They could be right there, right now,
or they could be right there."
A lot of times they were,
they just weren't shooting at us,
but we could see 'em moving.
But just for...
[clicks fingers]...that long,
and then they were gone.
[man] It's funny because
people are always, like,
"Oh, what's the difference between Iraq
and Afghanistan?"
Or "Did you have some kind of guidance
or understanding of war?"
And the answer's no.
Afghanistan was the Wild West, man.
There was no buildings,
there was no infrastructure.
It was just kind of
this toe-to-toe fighting
in the desolate land of the mountains.
[gunfire]
[Larson] We got hit quite a bit.
I'd say...
at least once a day, if not twice a day.
We'd all jump up
and rush to battle positions.
[rapid gunfire]
[man] Single shots, or mortar attacks,
or recoilless rifles, RPGs...
[relentless gunfire]
[Raz] There's no safe space, really,
I guess you could say,
unless you're inside a building
and even then,
you know, the rockets will
just punch right through.
[Rodriguez] This is our shower.
Of course, we have no power.
So you have to shower
with a headlight on.
[Bundermann]
We lived in a 20x40 building
with bunks on each side.
I knew everything about these guys,
and they knew everything about me, right?
You just can't live two feet
from someone for that long
and not know what's going on with them.
I could tell when Ro
had a blister on his hand
'cause he would change the way he was
holding his remote control, right?
Loves video games.
[Larson]
Ro and I, we didn't get along at first,
but, you know,
we became really good friends,
and our platoon got along really well.
We meshed really well together.
[Raz] Our platoon was like that.
That's just how we were.
We hung out all the time,
everybody was friends.
It was very rare
for other units to have that.
[Taliban soldiers speaking Pashto]
[Tapper] This is an area of Afghanistan
where people are bred to resist.
[Taliban soldiers continue speaking]
[Tapper] They are smart.
They are strategic.
They are ruthless.
They study before they attack,
and they have centuries' worth
of experience as a people fighting.
[Petraeus] I was about 11 months into
my time in command of U.S. Central Command
in Afghanistan,
and I had a lot of concerns
about the vulnerability
of these isolated combat outposts.
And, everything that happened
in COP Keating
was really the manifestation
of our worst fears.
[Bundermann]
Early, it was right around 6 a.m...
[radio] This is Gallegos at LRAS 2.
We're under heavy attack.
...there's an immense amount
of small arms fire.
Gallegos, it's Ro. I'm on the way.
[Raz] I had woke up
and we had that moment,
like you didn't really talk,
but you had a whole conversation.
And that's kind of when it all sank in,
like this is...
We're gonna have to hunker down.
This is gonna be a long fight.
[distant gunfire]
[Bundermann] It was obvious, quickly,
that this was different
than previous attacks.
We've had a couple of coordinated ones
where it was small arms and indirect,
but this was very much more than usual.
- [Taliban soldier speaking]
- [machine gun fire]
[Rodriguez] I stand up,
I put my K-Pod on, my vest,
and it was just fucking muzzle flashes
everywhere.
[Raz] Thousands of bullets
flying through the air.
Rockets everywhere,
bullets bouncing off everything.
It's, you know, every... it's just chaos.
[Taliban soldiers shouting]
[Raz] And they're also above us,
looking down.
It's like looking down
into a football field.
[rapid gunfire]
[man] As a brigade commander,
I was in Jalalabad,
which is about 160 km south.
We woke to news that
Outpost Keating was under attack.
There was 300 attackers
for the 50 that were at the outpost.
This was obviously something
very different, very extreme.
[radio] RPG coming in. RPG. RPG.
- [indistinct radio response]
- [intense gunfire]
[radio] Three machine gun nests
on the north face, firing directly down.
[indistinct radio response]
Repeat, 155.
[Bundermann]
They attacked from everywhere,
all four sides,
we started taking direct fire.
That kind of volume of fire
and the number of weapon systems
that were trained on us
was just... unbelievable.
[radio] This is Gallegos in LRAS 2.
We're under heavy attack.
Is anyone there?
- [gunfire]
- [loud explosion]
[Tapper] At LRAS 2,
which is an armored Humvee
used for fortification,
there were a few soldiers
that were stuck.
They were trapped.
[explosion]
[Gallegos] 50-cal is destroyed.
We need support.
We can't move. We can't get up.
They're firing RPGs.
Gallegos, it's Ro.
I'm about to lay down cover fire.
When the incoming lets up,
get the fuck outta there.
[Bundermann] We need more air support
directed to RPG Rock.
[Gallegos]
Ro, this isn't working. We can't move!
[gunfire continues]
[Gallegos] I got enemy fire.
I got RPGs coming in.
Enemy's just running all over the place.
Take care of the RPGs.
[Gallegos] Ro, it's too hot!
Get the fuck outta here!
Sit tight!
[Tapper] Clint Romesha
is this very intense guy.
He's a man of very few words,
but when he utters them, they mean a lot.
He's from a small town in California.
A traditional Mormon background.
His father and others in his family
were leaders in the church.
And, in fact, for a while,
he went to school early in the morning,
seminary, to be a leader.
But, ultimately,
he decided that it wasn't for him,
and he fought in Afghanistan and Iraq.
He has this religious fervor in him,
not for...
God, not for gifts after this life,
but for his men,
and for surviving this life.
[Larson] Coming out of Iraq,
you have a bond that you can't break.
You relate with guys that have been
through a similar situation.
Clint and I figured out we could actually
work together really well,
and I understood his way of thinking.
[Larson] Whoa!
- Want another? Whoa! Back up.
- [boy] Candy!
- No. Don't touch my weapon, Okay?
- Candy.
- [Larson] Back up. I don't have candy.
- [boy] Chocolate!
I don't have chocolate.
You want chocolate? Look. Candy man.
Chocolate man. Yeah, there.
- [Romesha] Hey! Don't touch the weapon.
- [boy] Chocolate?
Don't touch the...
I don't have candy or chocolate.
- [boy] Candy?
- I got a protein bar.
It's all I have. I have no candy.
Little shit!
[Larson] Me and Ro,
we really clicked.
He's a small little guy, but he knows
what to do and when to do it,
so he doesn't get him
or his soldiers killed.
[volley of gunfire]
[soldier over radio]
Enemy fire, I've got RPGs...
[Romesha] Fuck!
[soldier 2 over radio] I need mortar fire
on target GRP-125.
[soldier 3 over radio]
50-cal is destroyed. Need support.
[relentless gunfire]
[explosion]
[soldier 4 over radio] Three machine gun
nests up on the north face,
firing directly down.
Red Platoon squad leaders,
get me a sit rep on your squad.
[soldier 5 over radio] Jesus Christ!
They got an RPG pointed right at us!
[explosion]
[Bundermann]
Reports came in immediately.
"We can't get to this location."
"We can't get to that location."
And what that means
when soldiers are saying that is
"If I move from where I'm at,
I will get killed."
My commander and another
platoon leader weren't at the COP.
So, I was left in command of the troop...
[into radio] I need air support.
...and I was working
with Sergeant Romesha
to figure out
where everybody was at, right,
so we had guys,
we didn't know where they were.
[Raz] Lieutenant Bundermann
is now the acting CO,
and Romesha's the acting Platoon Sergeant
and it all falls
on both of their shoulders,
and I don't think either one of them
would have expected that.
[soldier over radio] There's a sniper
on my six. I've got a sniper on my six.
I'm on my way.
[squad leader 1]
Koppes is under heavy fire at LRAS 1.
Ro went back and forth
to different gun positions,
and he's doing it without any regard
for himself.
And Koppes would say things like,
"Can you shoot this sniper?
I really need... that guy needs to go."
[Koppes]
Hey, there's a sniper on my back!
[Larson]
Now, Romesha picked up a Dragonov,
which is a Russian sniper rifle.
And thought, "Well, if there's a sniper...
hitting Koppes, maybe I can hit him."
[soldier over radio] I need mortar fire
on Target GRP-125.
[indistinct radio communication]
[gunfire continues]
Sergeant Romesha
has to expose himself enough
so that he can draw a bead
on that enemy sniper,
which means, of course, that he has
to be visible to the enemy as well.
[gunfire continues]
[Larson] Romesha waited for the sniper
to pull back up to get on Koppes...
[continuous gunfire]
...caught his breath...
[gunfire continues]
...and Koppes's sniper problems
were fixed at that point.
[Bunnermann over radio]
e have enemy in the wire. I repeat.
We have enemy in the wire.
"Enemy in the wire."
That means that the Taliban
are inside the camp.
[soldier] Fuck!
[relentless gunfire]
I see this Taliban dude poke his head
around the corner
and I was like, "Oh, fuck!"
In some ways, they were just walking on
like it was a Sunday stroll,
and I don't know if they thought
this was going to be over,
um, but once they were in there, you know,
it's always real, but you're going...
[takes a deep breath]
- [gunfire]
- [Taliban soldiers shouting]
[Taliban soldiers shouting]
[Taliban soldiers talking]
"Enemy inside the wire,"
it makes your... I mean,
that makes your heart skip a beat.
It completely changes what was already,
you know, a near impossible situation
with 300 plus enemy attackers.
We have enemy in the wire. I repeat.
We have enemy in the wire.
I need air support now.
[explosion]
Gotta be fuckin' kidding me!
[George] The challenge
with air supporting was,
unfortunately,
there weren't Apaches up there.
They had to come all the way
from Jalalabad.
What I remember is
trying to get the assets up there
as quickly as possible.
[pilot] I think we can do that, man.
[George] With Combat Outpost Keating,
the problem was remoteness.
Five minutes in that kind of an attack,
ten minutes, twenty minutes,
that's too long.
[soldier over radio] Copy, Lieutenant.
Ten wounded. Three confirmed KIAs.
[response over radio]
Scrambling air support.
- [soldier over radio] Standby.
- [Romesha] Fuck!
[Bundermann]
We had a couple confirmed...
KIAs, right. So, Sergeant Kirk
had been killed by that point in time,
Scusa, and Thompson.
And...
uh, that was...
that was intense for me.
I was, um...
you know, not expecting that, right.
In the past, we...
we had some guys get hurt,
but no one had gotten killed.
[soldier 1]
Sir, they've breached the front gate.
- Sir, we need to prep for...
- Oh, God damn it!
[soldier 1] Hunker down. Kill anything
that comes through this door.
[soldier 2] I'm not doing that.
[pilot over radio] Scrambling air support.
Stand by for ETA.
[soldier over radio] Need close
air support directed to RPG Rock.
[Bundermann] I guess I haven't found a way
to categorize it any way differently
than we were losing.
They controlled the initiative,
they had a higher volume of fire.
And they were imposing their will on us.
The truth is...
that the odds were they were gonna die.
The odds were they were gonna get killed.
[soldier] Sir, we need to prep
for Alamo Position.
We got soldiers unaccounted for.
[soldier] Guys, if we don't fall back,
there won't be a base left to save.
Fuck that!
Taliban have fire superiority.
We sit here, we're dead.
What do you wanna do?
Take it back.
Two six-men assault teams. You take
the first team east for cover fire,
I take the second team west,
secure the front gate.
[Bundermann] Your team's gonna be
walking right through the kill zone.
I've never seen Ro back down from anything
and I think that's just how he is.
Okay, Ro. Get her done.
Romesha mapped out the plan
to retake the front entrance of the COP.
[Tapper] It was very
strategically important.
If the enemy was there,
that was just their beachhead
for taking more of the American camp.
So he needed to stop them in their tracks.
I need volunteers to take this bitch back.
Clint's one of the...
maybe one or two people
on the face of the Earth
that I would do anything for,
without question.
I'd just do it.
[gunfire continues]
It was like that: "Okay.
This is where I'm gonna die today."
Like, "But at least I'm gonna take
as many of 'em with me as possible."
Let's do this.
Go! Move!
[relentless gunfire]
Running and gunning at the same time.
You can't stop. You gotta keep going.
It's almost like
you're two different people.
Your brain's thinking one thing
and your body's just going.
- [soldier over radio] Enemy fire...
- Blue Four, where's my cover fire?
[soldier in the distance]
Working on it!
- We can't secure it from here.
- [Raz] Incoming!
Where's my machine gun, Blue Four?
I need cover fire!
[Blue Four] Negative, Ro!
We're pinned down at the ANA building!
This could get bad.
Okay, we're gonna take it.
[ ♪♪♪ ]
And there was about 30 or 40 guys
getting ready to breach the front gate.
Romesha, he was the mastermind
behind the whole...
counterattack.
We're holding this gate.
[gunfire continues]
When he led the charge,
it provided the first
and only amount of hope
that the camp could actually be retaken.
You cannot overstate the importance
of that victory.
[Raz] To fight,
sunup to sundown like that,
and to be the ground guy in charge,
making all the decisions...
he rose to the occasion
and he went above and beyond.
[pilot over radio]
We need enemy coordinates.
[Raz] He was talking to
Lt. Bundermann and TOC,
he was talking to the helicopters.
[George] And it was at that point,
they were able to start calling in some,
you know, close air support,
which started making
a significant difference.
[pilot] We're going hot.
Take cover!
[Raz] And, you know, he's getting
these Apaches to come in
and start running gun runs on everything.
That's when I knew... we got this.
And there's a momentum
that comes with that.
We just started pummeling.
And we could take back what was ours.
[pilot] Come on. Light 'em up!
[Raz] Bombs started dropping and...
they knew they were screwed,
so they took off running.
[Petraeus] Ultimately, the Taliban
realizes that this is not their day.
Although our forces had paid
an extraordinary price for that.
[Larson]
Romesha came up with this plan
to recover our fallen.
[Bundermann] One of the things you
always look for is accountability.
Do you have accountability
of your soldiers?
That means you have them. Doesn't
necessarily mean that they're all...
alive, but you have them.
The new mission now is that we have
to find Hardt, we have to find Martin,
and we have to go get Gallegos.
We wanted to make sure we got everybody
and we didn't give up looking.
Everybody's got a family.
They've got friends.
And they did an amazing thing, right?
They did something incredible.
And they...
[inhales deeply] They made a sacrifice
that is hard to fathom.
And we owe it to them
that they're respected in the proper way.
So, it's important...
to do whatever it takes.
This is Red Four.
Respond in sequence.
[squad leader 1] Red One, accounted for.
[squad leader 2] Red Two, accounted for.
[squad leader 3] Red Three, accounted for.
[Raz] It was 12 hours, start to finish,
sunrise to sunset.
You know, we took on 400 Taliban.
And if it hadn't been for Clint,
they might have won that fight.
[narrator] It was a win,
but not without shattering loss.
Eight Americans killed.
Eight Americans...
with loved ones waiting back home.
[man] To be celebrated for...
your courage, your heroics,
you know, was flattering. It's...
But I don't look at anything
I did that day
as heroic or courageous,
it was doin' a job.
You know, eight other guys...
gave up...
more than was ever required of them.
So, why do I get celebrated when...
those guys will never...
[breathes shakily]
...never again get to see
hugs, smiles,
say anything to their families.
[narrator] A changed and shaken
Sergeant Romesha
returned home to his three children.
[inaudible dialogue]
His oldest, Desiree,
like her father's men,
has learned something about coping.
The most important thing he's taught me
is don't let things get to you.
If something affects you,
you need to learn how to deal with it
and then move on from it.
And learn from that.
[Romesha] My defining moments will be
when my kids grow up,
carry the torch to the next generation.
That they are productive and successful
members of this great country.
It's the only thing
we can really ever ask for is
making sure our kids
carry on our legacies for us.
[narrator] But what would
the sergeant's own legacy be?
That was not yet clear.
In the more than 11 years
that the United States has been
fighting in Afghanistan,
Presidents Bush and Obama have awarded
six American service members
the highest honor one can receive,
the Medal of Honor,
for actions in that war.
On Monday, President Obama will award
the seventh American service member
the Medal of Honor,
former Staff Sergeant Clint Romesha.
When I first heard the news
of the Medal of Honor,
my first thought was
"What the heck is that?"
But then, as this started to unroll,
many people come up to me and say,
"Tell your father thank you
for everything he's done."
And you're always like, "Go, Dad!"
[Romesha] Before the ceremony started,
we got brought into the Oval Office
and met President Obama.
The two youngest kids, they got in there
and they're messing with the fruit,
and they started running on the furniture.
I'm sitting there thinking,
"Oh my goodness, I got
a one-and-a-half-year-old son jumping
on the couch in the Oval Office."
[Barack Obama] We just spent some time
together in the Oval Office,
along with your three beautiful children,
Dessi, Gwen, and Colin.
Colin is not as shy as Clint.
[audience laughs]
Uh, he was in the Oval Office and...
- he was racing around pretty good.
- [audience laughs]
And sampled a number of the apples.
Receiving the medal that day, I...
I don't remember...
hardly any of it.
We gather to present the Medal of Honor
to one of these soldiers,
Staff Sergeant Clinton L. Romesha.
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.
Keating, it seemed, was gonna be overrun,
and that's when Clint Romesha
decided to retake that camp.
Clint gathered up his guys
and they began to fight their way back.
[Romesha]
The only thing I remember that day,
I was up on stage,
the ceremony had started,
and in the first row was my family.
Right behind them was the...
families of the eight guys we'd lost.
[muffled applause]
Just off to my left was guys
I'd served with at COP Keating that day,
and I just rememberlooking at all of them
and kinda thinking to myself
that it was just really good
to be able to...
know I wasn't there alone.
I had everybody there with me.
And I would ask these soldiers,
this band of brothers,
to stand and accept the gratitude
of our entire nation.
[audience applauds]
[Romesha] And then,
it came time to stand up.
I remember standing up and,
I mean, it was just such a whirlwind,
so many emotions,
so many things goin' on.
Just kinda thinking to myself that,
you know, it sucked that such a...
tragic thing had to happen to get
everybody here together.
But what a blessing,
sharing this one moment together.
[ ♪♪♪ ]
[inaudible dialogue]
[audience applauds]
[little girl] When I heard that Dad got
a Medal of Honor,
I was proud for him, happy.
Excited.
Hmm...
But I didn't know
he was gonna turn this famous.
[man] And you didn't know the exact
number at the time, but you knew
you were outmanned, right?
Yeah, I didn't have them in formation
for a head count beforehand, but...
[David and audience laugh]
[Romesha] And all of sudden
being thrust into the limelight.
You know, it was a lot to handle at first.
Then I really kinda realized that...
we, as veterans, are kinda
doing ourself a disservice
by not sharing our experiences.
[narrator] For Clint Romesha,
the limelight was about to spark
an epiphany.
He and his brothers-in-arms
needed to share their experiences.
The challenge,
one that so many soldiers face
to overcome an innate stoicism
would be met in a vivid and powerful way.
[Larson] When Ro was starting to write
Red Platoon,
I was... I was in favor of it.
[Romesha] Then I went to the guys
and said, "All right, we'll do a book,
but it's gonna come with your help,
and it's not gonna be a book
about Clint Romesha did this,
or Clint did that.
It's gonna be our story.
[narrator] This new chapter in his life
has provided something
surprising: catharsis.
[Romesha] One of my biggest fears that day
was not what was gonna happen to me.
That didn't scare me at all.
Didn't care about gettin' shot,
didn't care about comin' home.
What scared me...
was leaving someone behind.
[Larson] It is very important...
that people hear these stories...
and understand what soldiers went through.
I think it really opens up the eyes
of the American people
of what soldiers go through
on a day-to-day basis.
[audience applauds]
[Romesha] Every time we tell the story,
every time we talk about those guys,
that's how I look at it now.
Don't hide it away. Don't bottle it up.
It weighs heavy,
but to sit here and talk about it,
to sit here and share it with others,
I get to dump a little bit
of that weight on you.
You get to help me carry it now.
'Cause you know the sacrifice, you...
You know their names, you...
Maybe you have
a little more understanding of what
"service to country" really means.
[Larson] Romesha is continuing
the legacy of those we lost,
just keeping them in memory.
When we do get to reunite,
the ones that came away from Keating,
we usually have a lot of fun together.
- [Larson] That'll work.
- [Romesha] That's working.
- Oh!
- Oh, yeah!
Woo!
[Raz] We all keep in really close contact
with each other.
We check on each other
all the time, we're...
hanging out, you know,
two, three times a year.
[Larson] Clint Romesha.
That's all I gotta say.
[Romesha] Y'know, the guys I served with,
Larson and Raz and Bundermann, it's...
you know, almost...
It's more family than friends.
- There we go.
- You got this.
[Romesha] You've shared it together,
you've lost it together,
you've kept it together with each other.
And when push comes to shove,
they're gonna be there for you,
and when the dust settles, it's never...
never seems to be
just one person that did everything.
It's a whole group of guys
that supported you along the way.
And it's kind of a package deal.
You get one, you get 'em all.
[narrator] A potent reminder
that although only one name is ascribed
to a Medal of Honor,
it rarely belongs to just one person.
In battle, a band of brothers
fights for one another.
In doing so, it also fights for family,
for country, and for humanity itself.
[ ♪♪♪ ]
You know,
as I had time to look back at it,
and kind of digest
and think about it more...
Everything we did that day...
you know, we didn't do it
'cause we hated the enemy.
We didn't do it out of anger
'cause of what they were doing to us.
There were times
you were pissed off, that you were,
you know, getting attacked
and getting shot at
and you have
your buddies dying around you.
Of course, you get mad,
you get frustrated, but that wasn't
the driving force. The driving force was
loving those guys so much...
that...
they were gonna come get you.
And that's what we had to do for them.
It was that...
I mean, people don't understand.
Combat is not
a great thing to be in and it's not
a motivation to hate, by no means.
It's a motivational love
for your brothers. Absolutely.
When you live in a...
a room that small with 20 people,
it's not gonna be good.
Like Raz was my roommate,
and he was... he's 6'5"
and our room was 6'4 " by 6'4".
And we did have an air-conditioner
in our room,
uh, but every time...
or a rocket would come in,
or we'd get gunfire,
he'd wake up real fast
and smoke his head on the...
uh, air-conditioner unit.
So, it was worth it.
We had gun positions
that one person was at,
and they were at it all day.
Right? Think about that.
You're by yourself,
you've got several hundred
enemy people trying to kill you,
and you've got people running around
and you're covering one sector of fire.
Right, his job, this soldier's job,
was to cover that one sector of fire.
He's got bullets hitting his truck
behind him.
He can't turn around and look at it,
can't do anything.
His job is not to worry
if he's gonna get shot in the back,
because he's focusing on his job.
And he did that for a whole day.
I come around the corner,
and the gunfire is pretty significant.
The rockets are coming in, you know,
a little bit more than usual.
It wasn't anything that threw me off.
I thought we were just getting
hit extra-hard
because that's just how it was
in the mornings or before you go to bed.
Um, and I came around the corner,
and when I got past the aid-station wall
that was the last barrier before openness,
my first thought was, like,
is it... I didn't think it was raining.
My first thought was, "Is it raining?"
Because when I was running,
I just had my head down, I could just see,
uh, dirt, like flipping up off the ground,
like dirt specks that looked like rain.
I was like... And then it hit me,
as I ran around it.
I was like,
"Oh, shit, those are bullets."
This was about three o'clock
in the afternoon, I'm guessing.
I didn't... stop and look at my watch
and write it down in my journal,
but I'm guessing it was about three.
And I was out of chew, and I was thirsty.
Well, some of the barracks were on fire,
and they said ours
was probably gonna catch on fire.
Well, I had a 12-pack of Dr. Pepper
and a log of Copenhagen in there.
I told Ro I was gonna be right back.
So I ran to our barracks,
grabbed my Dr. Pepper,
my Copenhagen, stopped in his room
and grabbed his cigarettes
and went running back
to the shura building.
And him and I sat down,
took our helmets off,
had a sip of Dr. Pepper, and...
we just kinda got to relax
for just a little bit.
A couple days after it happened,
maybe a week after it happened, um...
Ro and I were sitting outside a building
at FOB Bostick, and...
you know, he was talking to...
he talked to his dad.
And, um...
you know, they had talked, and...
it was a relatively mundane conversation,
until, uh...
until he kinda...
At the end of it, he said,
"You know, I'm..."
He was happy that I was there with him.
And he was proud of that.
That meant a lot to me. Not just...
Granted, at that point in time, there
were no awards. It wasn't about that.
But, he was the soldier that said,
"Lt. Bundermann, you did
what we were supposed to do."
And that meant a lot and...
I guess I don't really talk...
We don't talk about
the actions and stuff like that.
What we talk about is general BSing.
Right? Whether it's Ro and I, or Raz,
or Larson or any of these guys, it's...
it's not like, "Hey, you remember
this time you did that?"
Or, you know, or maneuvering here
and there, it's much more about BSing
and much more focusing
on the good things about life.
A lot of people in these
modern-day conflicts
in Iraq and Afghanistan,
is they don't have to sacrifice anything.
You know, you look at World War II
and everything got rationed,
everybody went to work for factories,
that, you know, make parts
for airplanes and tanks and bombs and...
Um, the American people haven't really had
to sacrifice anything for these wars.
Um, so it's kind of a background event
and they read about in the news
and they might know somebody
who's got a kid in the military,
and they're like, "Oh yeah, you know,
so-and-so's son's over in Baghdad."
You know, and in my eyes
and my perception,
that's kind of as far as it goes
for a lot of people and...
You know, it's not their fault,
you know, it's just kinda how it is.
Um, and it plays into, like,
our responsibility,
you know, it's our job to come back
and make sure that there's...
Y'know, still to this day, there's people
in Iraq and Afghanistan fighting.
They're fighting ISIS, they're fighting...
still fighting Taliban in Afghanistan.
Um...
the wars are still happening
and it's important that people know that
there's still sacrifices being made
by these young men and women
on the front lines, um...
so that we can go about our lives
every day and not worry about, you know,
somebody coming and hurting us
or attacking us.
They're over there making sure
that stuff stays in check over there.
The one thing I'd like my legacy to be
would be that everyone understands...
there is greatness in all of us,
and it's that...
It's that time in everyone's life that
that moment will come along. That...
Don't ever think that you're
too small, too insignificant,
that something's too hard,
too challenging.
But those moments
will present themselves, that...
you'll sit there
and have to make the choice.
Do I sit here and let it pass me by,
and say nothing, do nothing,
or do I stand up and do the right thing?
To truly understand the extraordinary
actions for which Clint is being honored,
uh, you need to understand
the almost unbelievable conditions
under which he and B Troop served.
This was a time in 2009
when many of our troops
still served in small, rugged outposts,
even as our commanders were shifting
their focus to larger towns and cities.
So, Combat Outpost Keating
was a collection of buildings
of concrete and plywood
with trenches and sand bags.
Of all the outposts in Afghanistan,
Keating was among the most remote.
It sat at the bottom of a steep valley
surrounded by mountains.
Terrain that a later investigation said
"gave ideal cover
for insurgents to attack."
COP Keating, the investigation found,
was "tactically indefensible."
But that's what these soldiers were asked
to do, defend the indefensible.
The attack came in the morning,
just as the sun rose.
Some of our guys were standing guard,
uh, most, like Clint, were still sleeping.
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.
What happened next has been described
as one of the most intense battles
of the entire war in Afghanistan.
The attackers had the advantage,
the high ground, the mountains above.
And they were unleashing
everything they had,
rocket-propelled grenades,
heavy machine guns,
mortars, snipers taking aim.
To those Americans down below,
the fire was coming in
from every single direction.
They'd never seen anything like it.
With gunfire impacting all around him,
Clint raced to one of the barracks
and grabbed a machine gun.
He took aim at one of the enemy
machine teams and took it out.
A rocket-propelled grenade exploded,
sending sharpnel that...
shrapnel into his hip, his arm,
and his neck.
But he kept fighting,
disregarding his own wounds
and tending to an injured comrade instead.
Then, over the radio,
came words no soldier ever wants to hear:
"Enemy in the wire."
The Taliban had penetrated the camp.
They were taking over buildings.
The combat was close,
at times as close as ten feet.
When Clint took aim at three of them,
they never took another step.
But still the enemy advanced.
So, the Americans pulled back
to buildings that were easier to defend
to make one last stand.
One of them later
compared to the Alamo.
One of them later compared it
to the Alamo.
Keating, it seemed,
was gonna be overrun,
and that's when Clint Romesha
decided to retake that camp.
Clint gathered up his guys
and they began to fight their way back,
storming one building, then another,
pushing the enemy back,
having to actually shoot up
at the enemy in the mountains above.
By now, most of the camp was on fire.
Amid the flames and smoke,
Clint stood in a doorway,
calling in airstrikes
that shook the earth all around them.
Over the radio, they heard comrades
who were pinned down in a Humvee.
So Clint and his team unloaded everything
they had into the enemy positions,
and with that cover,
three wounded Americans made their escape,
including a grievously injured
Stephan Mace.
But more Americans,
their bodies, were still out there,
and Clint Romesha lives
the Soldier's Creed:
"I will never leave a fallen comrade."
So, he and his team started charging
as enemy fire poured down.
And they kept charging,
50 meters, 80 meters,
ultimately, a hundred-meter run
through a hail of bullets.
They reached their fallen friends,
and they brought them home.
Throughout history, uh,
the question has often been asked,
uh, "Why?
Why do those in uniform
take such extraordinary risks?
And what compels them to such courage?"
You ask Clint and any of these soldiers
who are here today, and they'll tell you.
Yes, they fight for their country
and they fight for our freedom.
Yes, they fight to come home
to their families.
But most of all,
they fight for each other,
uh, to keep each other safe
and to have each other's backs.
When I called Clint to tell him
that he would receive this medal,
he said he was honored,
but he also said,
"It wasn't just me out there,
it was a team effort."
And so today,
we also honor this American team,
including those who made
the ultimate sacrifice.
Private First Class Kevin Thompson,
who would have turned 26 years old today.
Sergeant Michael Scusa,
Sergeant Joshua Kirk,
Sergeant Christopher Griffin,
Staff Sergeant Justin Gallegos,
Staff Sergeant Vernon Martin,
Sergeant Joshua Hardt,
and Specialist Stephan Mace.
Each of these patriots gave their lives
looking out for each other.
In a battle that raged all day,
that brand of selflessness was displayed
again and again and again.
Soldiers exposing themselves to enemy fire
to pull a comrade to safety,
tending to each other's wounds,
performing buddy transfusions,
giving each other their own blood.
And if you seek a measure of that day,
you need to look no further
than the medals and ribbons
that grace their chests.
For their sustained heroism,
37 Army Commendation Medals
For their wounds, 27 Purple Hearts.
For their valor, 18 Bronze Stars.
For their gallantry, nine Silver Stars.
These men were outnumbered, outgunned,
and almost overrun.
Looking back, one of them said,
"I'm surprised any of us made it out."
But they are here today.
And I would ask these soldiers,
this band of brothers,
to stand and accept
the gratitude of our entire nation.
[audience applauds]
There are many lessons from COP Keating.
One of them is
that our troops should never,
ever be put in a position where they
have to defend the indefensible.
That's what these soldiers did
for each other
in sacrifice driven by pure love.
And because they did,
eight grieving families
were at least able to welcome
their soldiers home one last time.
And more than 40 American soldiers
are alive today
to carry on, to keep alive
the memory of their fallen brothers,
to help...
make sure that this country that we love
so much remains strong and free.
What was it that turned the tide that day?
How was it that so few Americans
prevailed against so many?
As we prepare
for the reading of the citation,
I'll leave you
with the words of Clint himself,
because they say something about our army
and they say something about America.
They say something about our spirit,
which will never be broken.
"We weren't going to be beat that day,"
Clint said.
"We're not gonna back down
in the face of adversity like that.
We were just gonna win.
Plain and simple."
God bless you, Clint Romesha,
and all of your team.
God bless all who serve,
and God bless
the United States of America.
With that, I'd like...
the citation to be read.
[male speaker] The President
of the United States of America,
authorized by Act of Congress,
March 3rd, 1863,
has awarded, in the name of Congress,
the Medal of Honor
to Staff Sergeant Clinton L. Romesha,
United States Army.
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity
at the risk of his life,
above and beyond the call of duty.
Staff Sergeant Clinton L. Romesha
distinguished himself
by acts of gallantry and intrepidity,
at the risk of his life
above and beyond the call of duty
while serving as a section leader
with Bravo Troop, Third Squadron,
61st Cavalry Regiment,
4th Brigade Combat Team,
4th Infantry Division,
during combat operations
against an armed enemy
at Combat Outpost Keating,
Kamdesh District, Nuristan Province,
Afghanistan
on October 3rd, 2009.
On that morning, Staff Sergeant Romesha
and his comrades awakened
to an attack by an estimated
300 enemy fighters
occupying the high ground
on all four sides of the complex,
employing concentrated fire
from recoilless rifles,
rocket-propelled grenades,
anti-aircraft machine guns,
mortars, and small arms fire.
Staff Sergeant Romesha moved, uncovered,
under intense enemy fire
to conduct a reconnaissance
of the battlefield
and seek reinforcements from the barracks
before returning to action
with the support of an assistant gunner.
Staff Sergeant Romesha took out
an enemy machine-gun team
and, while engaging a second,
the generator he was using for cover
was struck by a rocket-propelled grenade,
inflicting him with shrapnel wounds.
Undeterred by his injuries,
Staff Sergeant Romesha continued to fight
and upon the arrival of another soldier
to aid him and the assistant gunner,
he again rushed through the exposed avenue
to assemble additional soldiers.
Staff Sergeant Romesha
then mobilized a five-man team
and returned to the fight
equipped with a sniper rifle.
With complete disregard
for his own safety,
Staff Sergeant Romesha continually
exposed himself to heavy enemy fire
as he moved confidently
about the battlefield,
engaging and destroying
multiple enemy targets,
including three Taliban fighters who had
breached the combat outpost's perimeter.
While orchestrating a successful plan
to secure and reinforce key points
of the battlefield,
Staff Sergeant Romesha
maintained radio communication
with the Tactical Operations Center.
As the enemy forces attacked
with even greater ferocity,
unleashing a barrage
of rocket-propelled grenades
and recoilless rifle rounds,
Staff Sergeant Romesha
identified the point of attack
and directed air support to destroy
over 30 enemy fighters.
After receiving reports
that seriously injured soldiers
were at a distant battle position,
Staff Sergeant Romesha and his team
provided covering fire
to allow the injured soldiers
to safely reach the aid station.
Upon receipt of orders to proceed
to the next objective,
his team pushed forward 100 meters
under overwhelming enemy fire
to recover and prevent the enemy fighters
from taking the bodies
of their fallen comrades.
Staff Sergeant Romesha's heroic actions
throughout the day-long battle
were critical in suppressing an enemy
that had far greater numbers.
His extraordinary efforts gave Bravo Troop
the opportunity to regroup,
reorganize,
and prepare for the counterattack
that allowed the troop
to account for its personnel
and secure Combat Outpost Keating.
Staff Sergeant Romesha's discipline
and extraordinary heroism
above and beyond the call of duty
reflect great credit upon himself,
Bravo Troop, 3rd Squadron,
61st Cavalry Regiment,
4th Brigade Combat Team,
4th Infantry Division,
and the United States Army.
[infants chattering and crying
in the audience]
[inaudible dialogue]
[audience applauds]
have served
in the United States armed forces.
Of those, fewer than 3,600 have been
awarded the military's highest honor.
[bomb dropping]
- Whoa! Don't touch the weapon.
- Chocolate.
[ ♪♪♪ ]
- Whoa! You want candy?
- Candy.
- Don't touch my weapon.
- Candy.
You want candy?
[bomb exploding]
[Ronald Reagan]
Where did we find such men?
We find them
where we've always found them.
In our villages and towns,
on our city streets, in our shops,
and on our farms.
[Dwight H. Johnson]
Summoned a degree of courage
that stirs wonder and respect
and an overpowering pride in all of us.
[George W. Bush]
It recognizes gallantry
that goes above and beyond
the call of duty.
[Barack Obama]
We may not always hear of their success,
but they are there, in the thick
of the fight, in the dark of night,
achieving their mission.
[man] Normally, when someone hears
the term "the one percent"
what comes to mind
is that one percent Americans
who have such a disproportionate amount
of the wealth of our great country,
but there's another one percent.
That's the one percent
that has served our country in uniform.
Sergeant Romesha is
an even smaller part of that one percent
that serves, because not only
had his father served in Vietnam,
indeed in the same division in which
Sergeant Romesha ultimately served.
But his grandfather
served in World War II, as well.
There's something special
about how each son or daughter feels
this quiet but intense need to serve,
to continue the legacy of one's family.
And that's particularly true
in the post 9/11 period,
uh, after which everyone who raises
his or her right hand
realizes that he or she is volunteering
for the military at a time of war.
[aircraft engine roars]
[man] Holy shit!
[female newscaster]
This just in. You are looking at
obviously a very disturbing
live shot there.
[male newscaster] It does not appear
that there's any kind
of an effort up there yet.
- Now remember... Oh, my God!
- [woman] Oh, my God! My...
[male newscaster 2] I think we have
a terrorist act of proportions
that we cannot begin to imagine
at this juncture.
My goodness!
[man] On my orders,
the United States Military
has begun strikes
against Al-Qaeda terrorist training camps
and military installations
of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan.
[Petraeus] There had been this sense
that the enemy's action
began where the road ended.
And so for several commanders
in Afghanistan
there was an intent
to continue to extend the road,
and as you extended the road,
you would establish a combat outpost
to secure that road.
And the idea was that you would have
this spreading inkblot of security
and that would enable further extensions.
It was an attempt
to bring peace to the region,
and Combat Outpost Keating
was one of those camps,
but it is also, as it happens,
one of the deadliest parts of Afghanistan.
[gunshot]
Sounds like it came
from behind the switchbacks.
Red Patrol squad leaders,
get me a sit rep on your squad.
[squad leader 1]
Red One, accounted for.
[squad leader 2]
Red Two, accounted for.
[squad leader 3]
Red Three, accounted for.
[rear soldier] Tracks are old. These
fuckers haven't been here in a while.
Yeah. Probably just haven't set up
since we flagged it.
Maybe we should switch up
our patrol route.
[rear soldier] Okay.
[man] We'd do two patrols a day,
per platoon,
so we knew, all right,
that's a good spot where they could
possibly attack from or shoot at us from.
Clint was a really strong
section sergeant.
I've been in the Army for a few years now
and I wouldn't take anybody over Romesha.
Ever.
Ah, this is the spot.
Good cover.
Looking right fucking down on us.
Line of sight on LRAS 1,
LRAS 2,
TOC,
front gate.
[softly, to himself] Son of a bitch!
Raz, if that's my last Dr. Pepper,
you're digging the piss tubes next week.
[sniggers]
[man] When I had first got there,
I just, like, looked up,
and I, like, did a circle
and it was just mountains all around me.
And you're like,
"What in the fuck is goin' on here?"
[Petraeus] Combat Outpost Keating,
called "COP Keating,"
is about as far out
as any of the outposts
that we had in Afghanistan.
[Tapper] In that part of the country,
you're either on a mountain
or at the bottom of a mountain.
Combat Outpost Keating was
placed at the bottom
of three steep mountains.
Why it was put at the bottom
of three steep mountains,
uh, is really just an example of how,
in the military, quite often, you have
five bad choices in front of you
and you just have to pick
the least horrific one.
[Raz] It's hard to defend
and you're an easy target.
Everything you're looking at is up.
[chuckles]
[Larson] Started looking around
and going, "Oh, man!
They could be right there, right now,
or they could be right there."
A lot of times they were,
they just weren't shooting at us,
but we could see 'em moving.
But just for...
[clicks fingers]...that long,
and then they were gone.
[man] It's funny because
people are always, like,
"Oh, what's the difference between Iraq
and Afghanistan?"
Or "Did you have some kind of guidance
or understanding of war?"
And the answer's no.
Afghanistan was the Wild West, man.
There was no buildings,
there was no infrastructure.
It was just kind of
this toe-to-toe fighting
in the desolate land of the mountains.
[gunfire]
[Larson] We got hit quite a bit.
I'd say...
at least once a day, if not twice a day.
We'd all jump up
and rush to battle positions.
[rapid gunfire]
[man] Single shots, or mortar attacks,
or recoilless rifles, RPGs...
[relentless gunfire]
[Raz] There's no safe space, really,
I guess you could say,
unless you're inside a building
and even then,
you know, the rockets will
just punch right through.
[Rodriguez] This is our shower.
Of course, we have no power.
So you have to shower
with a headlight on.
[Bundermann]
We lived in a 20x40 building
with bunks on each side.
I knew everything about these guys,
and they knew everything about me, right?
You just can't live two feet
from someone for that long
and not know what's going on with them.
I could tell when Ro
had a blister on his hand
'cause he would change the way he was
holding his remote control, right?
Loves video games.
[Larson]
Ro and I, we didn't get along at first,
but, you know,
we became really good friends,
and our platoon got along really well.
We meshed really well together.
[Raz] Our platoon was like that.
That's just how we were.
We hung out all the time,
everybody was friends.
It was very rare
for other units to have that.
[Taliban soldiers speaking Pashto]
[Tapper] This is an area of Afghanistan
where people are bred to resist.
[Taliban soldiers continue speaking]
[Tapper] They are smart.
They are strategic.
They are ruthless.
They study before they attack,
and they have centuries' worth
of experience as a people fighting.
[Petraeus] I was about 11 months into
my time in command of U.S. Central Command
in Afghanistan,
and I had a lot of concerns
about the vulnerability
of these isolated combat outposts.
And, everything that happened
in COP Keating
was really the manifestation
of our worst fears.
[Bundermann]
Early, it was right around 6 a.m...
[radio] This is Gallegos at LRAS 2.
We're under heavy attack.
...there's an immense amount
of small arms fire.
Gallegos, it's Ro. I'm on the way.
[Raz] I had woke up
and we had that moment,
like you didn't really talk,
but you had a whole conversation.
And that's kind of when it all sank in,
like this is...
We're gonna have to hunker down.
This is gonna be a long fight.
[distant gunfire]
[Bundermann] It was obvious, quickly,
that this was different
than previous attacks.
We've had a couple of coordinated ones
where it was small arms and indirect,
but this was very much more than usual.
- [Taliban soldier speaking]
- [machine gun fire]
[Rodriguez] I stand up,
I put my K-Pod on, my vest,
and it was just fucking muzzle flashes
everywhere.
[Raz] Thousands of bullets
flying through the air.
Rockets everywhere,
bullets bouncing off everything.
It's, you know, every... it's just chaos.
[Taliban soldiers shouting]
[Raz] And they're also above us,
looking down.
It's like looking down
into a football field.
[rapid gunfire]
[man] As a brigade commander,
I was in Jalalabad,
which is about 160 km south.
We woke to news that
Outpost Keating was under attack.
There was 300 attackers
for the 50 that were at the outpost.
This was obviously something
very different, very extreme.
[radio] RPG coming in. RPG. RPG.
- [indistinct radio response]
- [intense gunfire]
[radio] Three machine gun nests
on the north face, firing directly down.
[indistinct radio response]
Repeat, 155.
[Bundermann]
They attacked from everywhere,
all four sides,
we started taking direct fire.
That kind of volume of fire
and the number of weapon systems
that were trained on us
was just... unbelievable.
[radio] This is Gallegos in LRAS 2.
We're under heavy attack.
Is anyone there?
- [gunfire]
- [loud explosion]
[Tapper] At LRAS 2,
which is an armored Humvee
used for fortification,
there were a few soldiers
that were stuck.
They were trapped.
[explosion]
[Gallegos] 50-cal is destroyed.
We need support.
We can't move. We can't get up.
They're firing RPGs.
Gallegos, it's Ro.
I'm about to lay down cover fire.
When the incoming lets up,
get the fuck outta there.
[Bundermann] We need more air support
directed to RPG Rock.
[Gallegos]
Ro, this isn't working. We can't move!
[gunfire continues]
[Gallegos] I got enemy fire.
I got RPGs coming in.
Enemy's just running all over the place.
Take care of the RPGs.
[Gallegos] Ro, it's too hot!
Get the fuck outta here!
Sit tight!
[Tapper] Clint Romesha
is this very intense guy.
He's a man of very few words,
but when he utters them, they mean a lot.
He's from a small town in California.
A traditional Mormon background.
His father and others in his family
were leaders in the church.
And, in fact, for a while,
he went to school early in the morning,
seminary, to be a leader.
But, ultimately,
he decided that it wasn't for him,
and he fought in Afghanistan and Iraq.
He has this religious fervor in him,
not for...
God, not for gifts after this life,
but for his men,
and for surviving this life.
[Larson] Coming out of Iraq,
you have a bond that you can't break.
You relate with guys that have been
through a similar situation.
Clint and I figured out we could actually
work together really well,
and I understood his way of thinking.
[Larson] Whoa!
- Want another? Whoa! Back up.
- [boy] Candy!
- No. Don't touch my weapon, Okay?
- Candy.
- [Larson] Back up. I don't have candy.
- [boy] Chocolate!
I don't have chocolate.
You want chocolate? Look. Candy man.
Chocolate man. Yeah, there.
- [Romesha] Hey! Don't touch the weapon.
- [boy] Chocolate?
Don't touch the...
I don't have candy or chocolate.
- [boy] Candy?
- I got a protein bar.
It's all I have. I have no candy.
Little shit!
[Larson] Me and Ro,
we really clicked.
He's a small little guy, but he knows
what to do and when to do it,
so he doesn't get him
or his soldiers killed.
[volley of gunfire]
[soldier over radio]
Enemy fire, I've got RPGs...
[Romesha] Fuck!
[soldier 2 over radio] I need mortar fire
on target GRP-125.
[soldier 3 over radio]
50-cal is destroyed. Need support.
[relentless gunfire]
[explosion]
[soldier 4 over radio] Three machine gun
nests up on the north face,
firing directly down.
Red Platoon squad leaders,
get me a sit rep on your squad.
[soldier 5 over radio] Jesus Christ!
They got an RPG pointed right at us!
[explosion]
[Bundermann]
Reports came in immediately.
"We can't get to this location."
"We can't get to that location."
And what that means
when soldiers are saying that is
"If I move from where I'm at,
I will get killed."
My commander and another
platoon leader weren't at the COP.
So, I was left in command of the troop...
[into radio] I need air support.
...and I was working
with Sergeant Romesha
to figure out
where everybody was at, right,
so we had guys,
we didn't know where they were.
[Raz] Lieutenant Bundermann
is now the acting CO,
and Romesha's the acting Platoon Sergeant
and it all falls
on both of their shoulders,
and I don't think either one of them
would have expected that.
[soldier over radio] There's a sniper
on my six. I've got a sniper on my six.
I'm on my way.
[squad leader 1]
Koppes is under heavy fire at LRAS 1.
Ro went back and forth
to different gun positions,
and he's doing it without any regard
for himself.
And Koppes would say things like,
"Can you shoot this sniper?
I really need... that guy needs to go."
[Koppes]
Hey, there's a sniper on my back!
[Larson]
Now, Romesha picked up a Dragonov,
which is a Russian sniper rifle.
And thought, "Well, if there's a sniper...
hitting Koppes, maybe I can hit him."
[soldier over radio] I need mortar fire
on Target GRP-125.
[indistinct radio communication]
[gunfire continues]
Sergeant Romesha
has to expose himself enough
so that he can draw a bead
on that enemy sniper,
which means, of course, that he has
to be visible to the enemy as well.
[gunfire continues]
[Larson] Romesha waited for the sniper
to pull back up to get on Koppes...
[continuous gunfire]
...caught his breath...
[gunfire continues]
...and Koppes's sniper problems
were fixed at that point.
[Bunnermann over radio]
e have enemy in the wire. I repeat.
We have enemy in the wire.
"Enemy in the wire."
That means that the Taliban
are inside the camp.
[soldier] Fuck!
[relentless gunfire]
I see this Taliban dude poke his head
around the corner
and I was like, "Oh, fuck!"
In some ways, they were just walking on
like it was a Sunday stroll,
and I don't know if they thought
this was going to be over,
um, but once they were in there, you know,
it's always real, but you're going...
[takes a deep breath]
- [gunfire]
- [Taliban soldiers shouting]
[Taliban soldiers shouting]
[Taliban soldiers talking]
"Enemy inside the wire,"
it makes your... I mean,
that makes your heart skip a beat.
It completely changes what was already,
you know, a near impossible situation
with 300 plus enemy attackers.
We have enemy in the wire. I repeat.
We have enemy in the wire.
I need air support now.
[explosion]
Gotta be fuckin' kidding me!
[George] The challenge
with air supporting was,
unfortunately,
there weren't Apaches up there.
They had to come all the way
from Jalalabad.
What I remember is
trying to get the assets up there
as quickly as possible.
[pilot] I think we can do that, man.
[George] With Combat Outpost Keating,
the problem was remoteness.
Five minutes in that kind of an attack,
ten minutes, twenty minutes,
that's too long.
[soldier over radio] Copy, Lieutenant.
Ten wounded. Three confirmed KIAs.
[response over radio]
Scrambling air support.
- [soldier over radio] Standby.
- [Romesha] Fuck!
[Bundermann]
We had a couple confirmed...
KIAs, right. So, Sergeant Kirk
had been killed by that point in time,
Scusa, and Thompson.
And...
uh, that was...
that was intense for me.
I was, um...
you know, not expecting that, right.
In the past, we...
we had some guys get hurt,
but no one had gotten killed.
[soldier 1]
Sir, they've breached the front gate.
- Sir, we need to prep for...
- Oh, God damn it!
[soldier 1] Hunker down. Kill anything
that comes through this door.
[soldier 2] I'm not doing that.
[pilot over radio] Scrambling air support.
Stand by for ETA.
[soldier over radio] Need close
air support directed to RPG Rock.
[Bundermann] I guess I haven't found a way
to categorize it any way differently
than we were losing.
They controlled the initiative,
they had a higher volume of fire.
And they were imposing their will on us.
The truth is...
that the odds were they were gonna die.
The odds were they were gonna get killed.
[soldier] Sir, we need to prep
for Alamo Position.
We got soldiers unaccounted for.
[soldier] Guys, if we don't fall back,
there won't be a base left to save.
Fuck that!
Taliban have fire superiority.
We sit here, we're dead.
What do you wanna do?
Take it back.
Two six-men assault teams. You take
the first team east for cover fire,
I take the second team west,
secure the front gate.
[Bundermann] Your team's gonna be
walking right through the kill zone.
I've never seen Ro back down from anything
and I think that's just how he is.
Okay, Ro. Get her done.
Romesha mapped out the plan
to retake the front entrance of the COP.
[Tapper] It was very
strategically important.
If the enemy was there,
that was just their beachhead
for taking more of the American camp.
So he needed to stop them in their tracks.
I need volunteers to take this bitch back.
Clint's one of the...
maybe one or two people
on the face of the Earth
that I would do anything for,
without question.
I'd just do it.
[gunfire continues]
It was like that: "Okay.
This is where I'm gonna die today."
Like, "But at least I'm gonna take
as many of 'em with me as possible."
Let's do this.
Go! Move!
[relentless gunfire]
Running and gunning at the same time.
You can't stop. You gotta keep going.
It's almost like
you're two different people.
Your brain's thinking one thing
and your body's just going.
- [soldier over radio] Enemy fire...
- Blue Four, where's my cover fire?
[soldier in the distance]
Working on it!
- We can't secure it from here.
- [Raz] Incoming!
Where's my machine gun, Blue Four?
I need cover fire!
[Blue Four] Negative, Ro!
We're pinned down at the ANA building!
This could get bad.
Okay, we're gonna take it.
[ ♪♪♪ ]
And there was about 30 or 40 guys
getting ready to breach the front gate.
Romesha, he was the mastermind
behind the whole...
counterattack.
We're holding this gate.
[gunfire continues]
When he led the charge,
it provided the first
and only amount of hope
that the camp could actually be retaken.
You cannot overstate the importance
of that victory.
[Raz] To fight,
sunup to sundown like that,
and to be the ground guy in charge,
making all the decisions...
he rose to the occasion
and he went above and beyond.
[pilot over radio]
We need enemy coordinates.
[Raz] He was talking to
Lt. Bundermann and TOC,
he was talking to the helicopters.
[George] And it was at that point,
they were able to start calling in some,
you know, close air support,
which started making
a significant difference.
[pilot] We're going hot.
Take cover!
[Raz] And, you know, he's getting
these Apaches to come in
and start running gun runs on everything.
That's when I knew... we got this.
And there's a momentum
that comes with that.
We just started pummeling.
And we could take back what was ours.
[pilot] Come on. Light 'em up!
[Raz] Bombs started dropping and...
they knew they were screwed,
so they took off running.
[Petraeus] Ultimately, the Taliban
realizes that this is not their day.
Although our forces had paid
an extraordinary price for that.
[Larson]
Romesha came up with this plan
to recover our fallen.
[Bundermann] One of the things you
always look for is accountability.
Do you have accountability
of your soldiers?
That means you have them. Doesn't
necessarily mean that they're all...
alive, but you have them.
The new mission now is that we have
to find Hardt, we have to find Martin,
and we have to go get Gallegos.
We wanted to make sure we got everybody
and we didn't give up looking.
Everybody's got a family.
They've got friends.
And they did an amazing thing, right?
They did something incredible.
And they...
[inhales deeply] They made a sacrifice
that is hard to fathom.
And we owe it to them
that they're respected in the proper way.
So, it's important...
to do whatever it takes.
This is Red Four.
Respond in sequence.
[squad leader 1] Red One, accounted for.
[squad leader 2] Red Two, accounted for.
[squad leader 3] Red Three, accounted for.
[Raz] It was 12 hours, start to finish,
sunrise to sunset.
You know, we took on 400 Taliban.
And if it hadn't been for Clint,
they might have won that fight.
[narrator] It was a win,
but not without shattering loss.
Eight Americans killed.
Eight Americans...
with loved ones waiting back home.
[man] To be celebrated for...
your courage, your heroics,
you know, was flattering. It's...
But I don't look at anything
I did that day
as heroic or courageous,
it was doin' a job.
You know, eight other guys...
gave up...
more than was ever required of them.
So, why do I get celebrated when...
those guys will never...
[breathes shakily]
...never again get to see
hugs, smiles,
say anything to their families.
[narrator] A changed and shaken
Sergeant Romesha
returned home to his three children.
[inaudible dialogue]
His oldest, Desiree,
like her father's men,
has learned something about coping.
The most important thing he's taught me
is don't let things get to you.
If something affects you,
you need to learn how to deal with it
and then move on from it.
And learn from that.
[Romesha] My defining moments will be
when my kids grow up,
carry the torch to the next generation.
That they are productive and successful
members of this great country.
It's the only thing
we can really ever ask for is
making sure our kids
carry on our legacies for us.
[narrator] But what would
the sergeant's own legacy be?
That was not yet clear.
In the more than 11 years
that the United States has been
fighting in Afghanistan,
Presidents Bush and Obama have awarded
six American service members
the highest honor one can receive,
the Medal of Honor,
for actions in that war.
On Monday, President Obama will award
the seventh American service member
the Medal of Honor,
former Staff Sergeant Clint Romesha.
When I first heard the news
of the Medal of Honor,
my first thought was
"What the heck is that?"
But then, as this started to unroll,
many people come up to me and say,
"Tell your father thank you
for everything he's done."
And you're always like, "Go, Dad!"
[Romesha] Before the ceremony started,
we got brought into the Oval Office
and met President Obama.
The two youngest kids, they got in there
and they're messing with the fruit,
and they started running on the furniture.
I'm sitting there thinking,
"Oh my goodness, I got
a one-and-a-half-year-old son jumping
on the couch in the Oval Office."
[Barack Obama] We just spent some time
together in the Oval Office,
along with your three beautiful children,
Dessi, Gwen, and Colin.
Colin is not as shy as Clint.
[audience laughs]
Uh, he was in the Oval Office and...
- he was racing around pretty good.
- [audience laughs]
And sampled a number of the apples.
Receiving the medal that day, I...
I don't remember...
hardly any of it.
We gather to present the Medal of Honor
to one of these soldiers,
Staff Sergeant Clinton L. Romesha.
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.
Keating, it seemed, was gonna be overrun,
and that's when Clint Romesha
decided to retake that camp.
Clint gathered up his guys
and they began to fight their way back.
[Romesha]
The only thing I remember that day,
I was up on stage,
the ceremony had started,
and in the first row was my family.
Right behind them was the...
families of the eight guys we'd lost.
[muffled applause]
Just off to my left was guys
I'd served with at COP Keating that day,
and I just rememberlooking at all of them
and kinda thinking to myself
that it was just really good
to be able to...
know I wasn't there alone.
I had everybody there with me.
And I would ask these soldiers,
this band of brothers,
to stand and accept the gratitude
of our entire nation.
[audience applauds]
[Romesha] And then,
it came time to stand up.
I remember standing up and,
I mean, it was just such a whirlwind,
so many emotions,
so many things goin' on.
Just kinda thinking to myself that,
you know, it sucked that such a...
tragic thing had to happen to get
everybody here together.
But what a blessing,
sharing this one moment together.
[ ♪♪♪ ]
[inaudible dialogue]
[audience applauds]
[little girl] When I heard that Dad got
a Medal of Honor,
I was proud for him, happy.
Excited.
Hmm...
But I didn't know
he was gonna turn this famous.
[man] And you didn't know the exact
number at the time, but you knew
you were outmanned, right?
Yeah, I didn't have them in formation
for a head count beforehand, but...
[David and audience laugh]
[Romesha] And all of sudden
being thrust into the limelight.
You know, it was a lot to handle at first.
Then I really kinda realized that...
we, as veterans, are kinda
doing ourself a disservice
by not sharing our experiences.
[narrator] For Clint Romesha,
the limelight was about to spark
an epiphany.
He and his brothers-in-arms
needed to share their experiences.
The challenge,
one that so many soldiers face
to overcome an innate stoicism
would be met in a vivid and powerful way.
[Larson] When Ro was starting to write
Red Platoon,
I was... I was in favor of it.
[Romesha] Then I went to the guys
and said, "All right, we'll do a book,
but it's gonna come with your help,
and it's not gonna be a book
about Clint Romesha did this,
or Clint did that.
It's gonna be our story.
[narrator] This new chapter in his life
has provided something
surprising: catharsis.
[Romesha] One of my biggest fears that day
was not what was gonna happen to me.
That didn't scare me at all.
Didn't care about gettin' shot,
didn't care about comin' home.
What scared me...
was leaving someone behind.
[Larson] It is very important...
that people hear these stories...
and understand what soldiers went through.
I think it really opens up the eyes
of the American people
of what soldiers go through
on a day-to-day basis.
[audience applauds]
[Romesha] Every time we tell the story,
every time we talk about those guys,
that's how I look at it now.
Don't hide it away. Don't bottle it up.
It weighs heavy,
but to sit here and talk about it,
to sit here and share it with others,
I get to dump a little bit
of that weight on you.
You get to help me carry it now.
'Cause you know the sacrifice, you...
You know their names, you...
Maybe you have
a little more understanding of what
"service to country" really means.
[Larson] Romesha is continuing
the legacy of those we lost,
just keeping them in memory.
When we do get to reunite,
the ones that came away from Keating,
we usually have a lot of fun together.
- [Larson] That'll work.
- [Romesha] That's working.
- Oh!
- Oh, yeah!
Woo!
[Raz] We all keep in really close contact
with each other.
We check on each other
all the time, we're...
hanging out, you know,
two, three times a year.
[Larson] Clint Romesha.
That's all I gotta say.
[Romesha] Y'know, the guys I served with,
Larson and Raz and Bundermann, it's...
you know, almost...
It's more family than friends.
- There we go.
- You got this.
[Romesha] You've shared it together,
you've lost it together,
you've kept it together with each other.
And when push comes to shove,
they're gonna be there for you,
and when the dust settles, it's never...
never seems to be
just one person that did everything.
It's a whole group of guys
that supported you along the way.
And it's kind of a package deal.
You get one, you get 'em all.
[narrator] A potent reminder
that although only one name is ascribed
to a Medal of Honor,
it rarely belongs to just one person.
In battle, a band of brothers
fights for one another.
In doing so, it also fights for family,
for country, and for humanity itself.
[ ♪♪♪ ]
You know,
as I had time to look back at it,
and kind of digest
and think about it more...
Everything we did that day...
you know, we didn't do it
'cause we hated the enemy.
We didn't do it out of anger
'cause of what they were doing to us.
There were times
you were pissed off, that you were,
you know, getting attacked
and getting shot at
and you have
your buddies dying around you.
Of course, you get mad,
you get frustrated, but that wasn't
the driving force. The driving force was
loving those guys so much...
that...
they were gonna come get you.
And that's what we had to do for them.
It was that...
I mean, people don't understand.
Combat is not
a great thing to be in and it's not
a motivation to hate, by no means.
It's a motivational love
for your brothers. Absolutely.
When you live in a...
a room that small with 20 people,
it's not gonna be good.
Like Raz was my roommate,
and he was... he's 6'5"
and our room was 6'4 " by 6'4".
And we did have an air-conditioner
in our room,
uh, but every time...
or a rocket would come in,
or we'd get gunfire,
he'd wake up real fast
and smoke his head on the...
uh, air-conditioner unit.
So, it was worth it.
We had gun positions
that one person was at,
and they were at it all day.
Right? Think about that.
You're by yourself,
you've got several hundred
enemy people trying to kill you,
and you've got people running around
and you're covering one sector of fire.
Right, his job, this soldier's job,
was to cover that one sector of fire.
He's got bullets hitting his truck
behind him.
He can't turn around and look at it,
can't do anything.
His job is not to worry
if he's gonna get shot in the back,
because he's focusing on his job.
And he did that for a whole day.
I come around the corner,
and the gunfire is pretty significant.
The rockets are coming in, you know,
a little bit more than usual.
It wasn't anything that threw me off.
I thought we were just getting
hit extra-hard
because that's just how it was
in the mornings or before you go to bed.
Um, and I came around the corner,
and when I got past the aid-station wall
that was the last barrier before openness,
my first thought was, like,
is it... I didn't think it was raining.
My first thought was, "Is it raining?"
Because when I was running,
I just had my head down, I could just see,
uh, dirt, like flipping up off the ground,
like dirt specks that looked like rain.
I was like... And then it hit me,
as I ran around it.
I was like,
"Oh, shit, those are bullets."
This was about three o'clock
in the afternoon, I'm guessing.
I didn't... stop and look at my watch
and write it down in my journal,
but I'm guessing it was about three.
And I was out of chew, and I was thirsty.
Well, some of the barracks were on fire,
and they said ours
was probably gonna catch on fire.
Well, I had a 12-pack of Dr. Pepper
and a log of Copenhagen in there.
I told Ro I was gonna be right back.
So I ran to our barracks,
grabbed my Dr. Pepper,
my Copenhagen, stopped in his room
and grabbed his cigarettes
and went running back
to the shura building.
And him and I sat down,
took our helmets off,
had a sip of Dr. Pepper, and...
we just kinda got to relax
for just a little bit.
A couple days after it happened,
maybe a week after it happened, um...
Ro and I were sitting outside a building
at FOB Bostick, and...
you know, he was talking to...
he talked to his dad.
And, um...
you know, they had talked, and...
it was a relatively mundane conversation,
until, uh...
until he kinda...
At the end of it, he said,
"You know, I'm..."
He was happy that I was there with him.
And he was proud of that.
That meant a lot to me. Not just...
Granted, at that point in time, there
were no awards. It wasn't about that.
But, he was the soldier that said,
"Lt. Bundermann, you did
what we were supposed to do."
And that meant a lot and...
I guess I don't really talk...
We don't talk about
the actions and stuff like that.
What we talk about is general BSing.
Right? Whether it's Ro and I, or Raz,
or Larson or any of these guys, it's...
it's not like, "Hey, you remember
this time you did that?"
Or, you know, or maneuvering here
and there, it's much more about BSing
and much more focusing
on the good things about life.
A lot of people in these
modern-day conflicts
in Iraq and Afghanistan,
is they don't have to sacrifice anything.
You know, you look at World War II
and everything got rationed,
everybody went to work for factories,
that, you know, make parts
for airplanes and tanks and bombs and...
Um, the American people haven't really had
to sacrifice anything for these wars.
Um, so it's kind of a background event
and they read about in the news
and they might know somebody
who's got a kid in the military,
and they're like, "Oh yeah, you know,
so-and-so's son's over in Baghdad."
You know, and in my eyes
and my perception,
that's kind of as far as it goes
for a lot of people and...
You know, it's not their fault,
you know, it's just kinda how it is.
Um, and it plays into, like,
our responsibility,
you know, it's our job to come back
and make sure that there's...
Y'know, still to this day, there's people
in Iraq and Afghanistan fighting.
They're fighting ISIS, they're fighting...
still fighting Taliban in Afghanistan.
Um...
the wars are still happening
and it's important that people know that
there's still sacrifices being made
by these young men and women
on the front lines, um...
so that we can go about our lives
every day and not worry about, you know,
somebody coming and hurting us
or attacking us.
They're over there making sure
that stuff stays in check over there.
The one thing I'd like my legacy to be
would be that everyone understands...
there is greatness in all of us,
and it's that...
It's that time in everyone's life that
that moment will come along. That...
Don't ever think that you're
too small, too insignificant,
that something's too hard,
too challenging.
But those moments
will present themselves, that...
you'll sit there
and have to make the choice.
Do I sit here and let it pass me by,
and say nothing, do nothing,
or do I stand up and do the right thing?
To truly understand the extraordinary
actions for which Clint is being honored,
uh, you need to understand
the almost unbelievable conditions
under which he and B Troop served.
This was a time in 2009
when many of our troops
still served in small, rugged outposts,
even as our commanders were shifting
their focus to larger towns and cities.
So, Combat Outpost Keating
was a collection of buildings
of concrete and plywood
with trenches and sand bags.
Of all the outposts in Afghanistan,
Keating was among the most remote.
It sat at the bottom of a steep valley
surrounded by mountains.
Terrain that a later investigation said
"gave ideal cover
for insurgents to attack."
COP Keating, the investigation found,
was "tactically indefensible."
But that's what these soldiers were asked
to do, defend the indefensible.
The attack came in the morning,
just as the sun rose.
Some of our guys were standing guard,
uh, most, like Clint, were still sleeping.
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.
What happened next has been described
as one of the most intense battles
of the entire war in Afghanistan.
The attackers had the advantage,
the high ground, the mountains above.
And they were unleashing
everything they had,
rocket-propelled grenades,
heavy machine guns,
mortars, snipers taking aim.
To those Americans down below,
the fire was coming in
from every single direction.
They'd never seen anything like it.
With gunfire impacting all around him,
Clint raced to one of the barracks
and grabbed a machine gun.
He took aim at one of the enemy
machine teams and took it out.
A rocket-propelled grenade exploded,
sending sharpnel that...
shrapnel into his hip, his arm,
and his neck.
But he kept fighting,
disregarding his own wounds
and tending to an injured comrade instead.
Then, over the radio,
came words no soldier ever wants to hear:
"Enemy in the wire."
The Taliban had penetrated the camp.
They were taking over buildings.
The combat was close,
at times as close as ten feet.
When Clint took aim at three of them,
they never took another step.
But still the enemy advanced.
So, the Americans pulled back
to buildings that were easier to defend
to make one last stand.
One of them later
compared to the Alamo.
One of them later compared it
to the Alamo.
Keating, it seemed,
was gonna be overrun,
and that's when Clint Romesha
decided to retake that camp.
Clint gathered up his guys
and they began to fight their way back,
storming one building, then another,
pushing the enemy back,
having to actually shoot up
at the enemy in the mountains above.
By now, most of the camp was on fire.
Amid the flames and smoke,
Clint stood in a doorway,
calling in airstrikes
that shook the earth all around them.
Over the radio, they heard comrades
who were pinned down in a Humvee.
So Clint and his team unloaded everything
they had into the enemy positions,
and with that cover,
three wounded Americans made their escape,
including a grievously injured
Stephan Mace.
But more Americans,
their bodies, were still out there,
and Clint Romesha lives
the Soldier's Creed:
"I will never leave a fallen comrade."
So, he and his team started charging
as enemy fire poured down.
And they kept charging,
50 meters, 80 meters,
ultimately, a hundred-meter run
through a hail of bullets.
They reached their fallen friends,
and they brought them home.
Throughout history, uh,
the question has often been asked,
uh, "Why?
Why do those in uniform
take such extraordinary risks?
And what compels them to such courage?"
You ask Clint and any of these soldiers
who are here today, and they'll tell you.
Yes, they fight for their country
and they fight for our freedom.
Yes, they fight to come home
to their families.
But most of all,
they fight for each other,
uh, to keep each other safe
and to have each other's backs.
When I called Clint to tell him
that he would receive this medal,
he said he was honored,
but he also said,
"It wasn't just me out there,
it was a team effort."
And so today,
we also honor this American team,
including those who made
the ultimate sacrifice.
Private First Class Kevin Thompson,
who would have turned 26 years old today.
Sergeant Michael Scusa,
Sergeant Joshua Kirk,
Sergeant Christopher Griffin,
Staff Sergeant Justin Gallegos,
Staff Sergeant Vernon Martin,
Sergeant Joshua Hardt,
and Specialist Stephan Mace.
Each of these patriots gave their lives
looking out for each other.
In a battle that raged all day,
that brand of selflessness was displayed
again and again and again.
Soldiers exposing themselves to enemy fire
to pull a comrade to safety,
tending to each other's wounds,
performing buddy transfusions,
giving each other their own blood.
And if you seek a measure of that day,
you need to look no further
than the medals and ribbons
that grace their chests.
For their sustained heroism,
37 Army Commendation Medals
For their wounds, 27 Purple Hearts.
For their valor, 18 Bronze Stars.
For their gallantry, nine Silver Stars.
These men were outnumbered, outgunned,
and almost overrun.
Looking back, one of them said,
"I'm surprised any of us made it out."
But they are here today.
And I would ask these soldiers,
this band of brothers,
to stand and accept
the gratitude of our entire nation.
[audience applauds]
There are many lessons from COP Keating.
One of them is
that our troops should never,
ever be put in a position where they
have to defend the indefensible.
That's what these soldiers did
for each other
in sacrifice driven by pure love.
And because they did,
eight grieving families
were at least able to welcome
their soldiers home one last time.
And more than 40 American soldiers
are alive today
to carry on, to keep alive
the memory of their fallen brothers,
to help...
make sure that this country that we love
so much remains strong and free.
What was it that turned the tide that day?
How was it that so few Americans
prevailed against so many?
As we prepare
for the reading of the citation,
I'll leave you
with the words of Clint himself,
because they say something about our army
and they say something about America.
They say something about our spirit,
which will never be broken.
"We weren't going to be beat that day,"
Clint said.
"We're not gonna back down
in the face of adversity like that.
We were just gonna win.
Plain and simple."
God bless you, Clint Romesha,
and all of your team.
God bless all who serve,
and God bless
the United States of America.
With that, I'd like...
the citation to be read.
[male speaker] The President
of the United States of America,
authorized by Act of Congress,
March 3rd, 1863,
has awarded, in the name of Congress,
the Medal of Honor
to Staff Sergeant Clinton L. Romesha,
United States Army.
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity
at the risk of his life,
above and beyond the call of duty.
Staff Sergeant Clinton L. Romesha
distinguished himself
by acts of gallantry and intrepidity,
at the risk of his life
above and beyond the call of duty
while serving as a section leader
with Bravo Troop, Third Squadron,
61st Cavalry Regiment,
4th Brigade Combat Team,
4th Infantry Division,
during combat operations
against an armed enemy
at Combat Outpost Keating,
Kamdesh District, Nuristan Province,
Afghanistan
on October 3rd, 2009.
On that morning, Staff Sergeant Romesha
and his comrades awakened
to an attack by an estimated
300 enemy fighters
occupying the high ground
on all four sides of the complex,
employing concentrated fire
from recoilless rifles,
rocket-propelled grenades,
anti-aircraft machine guns,
mortars, and small arms fire.
Staff Sergeant Romesha moved, uncovered,
under intense enemy fire
to conduct a reconnaissance
of the battlefield
and seek reinforcements from the barracks
before returning to action
with the support of an assistant gunner.
Staff Sergeant Romesha took out
an enemy machine-gun team
and, while engaging a second,
the generator he was using for cover
was struck by a rocket-propelled grenade,
inflicting him with shrapnel wounds.
Undeterred by his injuries,
Staff Sergeant Romesha continued to fight
and upon the arrival of another soldier
to aid him and the assistant gunner,
he again rushed through the exposed avenue
to assemble additional soldiers.
Staff Sergeant Romesha
then mobilized a five-man team
and returned to the fight
equipped with a sniper rifle.
With complete disregard
for his own safety,
Staff Sergeant Romesha continually
exposed himself to heavy enemy fire
as he moved confidently
about the battlefield,
engaging and destroying
multiple enemy targets,
including three Taliban fighters who had
breached the combat outpost's perimeter.
While orchestrating a successful plan
to secure and reinforce key points
of the battlefield,
Staff Sergeant Romesha
maintained radio communication
with the Tactical Operations Center.
As the enemy forces attacked
with even greater ferocity,
unleashing a barrage
of rocket-propelled grenades
and recoilless rifle rounds,
Staff Sergeant Romesha
identified the point of attack
and directed air support to destroy
over 30 enemy fighters.
After receiving reports
that seriously injured soldiers
were at a distant battle position,
Staff Sergeant Romesha and his team
provided covering fire
to allow the injured soldiers
to safely reach the aid station.
Upon receipt of orders to proceed
to the next objective,
his team pushed forward 100 meters
under overwhelming enemy fire
to recover and prevent the enemy fighters
from taking the bodies
of their fallen comrades.
Staff Sergeant Romesha's heroic actions
throughout the day-long battle
were critical in suppressing an enemy
that had far greater numbers.
His extraordinary efforts gave Bravo Troop
the opportunity to regroup,
reorganize,
and prepare for the counterattack
that allowed the troop
to account for its personnel
and secure Combat Outpost Keating.
Staff Sergeant Romesha's discipline
and extraordinary heroism
above and beyond the call of duty
reflect great credit upon himself,
Bravo Troop, 3rd Squadron,
61st Cavalry Regiment,
4th Brigade Combat Team,
4th Infantry Division,
and the United States Army.
[infants chattering and crying
in the audience]
[inaudible dialogue]
[audience applauds]