I am willing to bet that he can identify the second worst day of his life. The day they hung a medal on him for what he did while those friends were dying.
Hours before receiving the nation's highest award for military valor, a humble Marine from Kentucky wonders, why he's being honored for "the worst day of my life." 23-year old Sergeant Dakota Meyer told CBS Radio News, "it's going to be a hard time" when President Obama presents the Medal of Honor at a White House ceremony.
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"If I was a hero I would have brought them out alive that day. That's a hero. I was just doing my job," he told CBS News.
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Asked about a message to future Marines, Meyer said, "You got to do what's right." His voice choking with emotion, he added, "Leave no marine behind."
Reading the coverage (scroll down for the links), Sgt. Meyer sounds like the prototypical U.S. Marine. Decent, focused, hardworking. The best friend a person could ever hope to have.
A class act, he agreed to accept the Medal of Honor as a memorial to his friends that died that day. He asked that members of his unit be present so that they too could be honored.
Watch the presentation ceremony...
Seeing all of the past Medal of Honor recipients in attendance, I hope that they offer him the support and advice he needs the most. They are the voice of the nearly singular experience that they have in common.
While he would gladly trade that bit of gold and ribbon to have his four friends back with him, he should never forget the thirty-six lives that he did save. And he should never forget the thirty-seventh life he saved that day; his own. For Sgt. Dakota Meyer is loved, respected, and honored for being who he is. He is the quintessential American hero. And we should be humbled to have him walk among us.
Kudos to President Obama for his presentation speech.
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