President Trump posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor to Army Staff Sgt. Travis Atkins at a Wednesday ceremony at the White House that son Trevor Oliver accepted on his father's behalf.
He perished in June 2007 after he confronted a terrorist wearing a suicide vest in Iraq.
Trump praised the 31-year-old for his 'supreme sacrifice' and hailed his 'immortal act of valor.'
'To the entire Atkins family: We can never measure the true depth of our gratitude or the full magnitude of your loss, but we can pay everlasting tribute,' the president said.
President Trump posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor to Army Staff Sgt. Travis Atkins
Presented the medal at a Wednesday ceremony at the White House that son Trevor Oliver accepted on his father's behalf
Staff Sgt. Travis W. Atkins went above and beyond the call of duty on June 1, 2007, while his unit -- Delta Company, 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team -- conducted route clearance southwest of Baghdad
Atkins is the fifth Iraqi war veteran to be honored with the Medal of Honor since the conflict ended
Trump said that Atkins' name is 'etched alongside the names of America's bravest warriors' and written into Americans' hearts
He said that Atkins' name is 'etched alongside of the names of America's bravest warriors' and written into Americans' hearts.
Atkins deployed twice to Iraq, the first time with the 101st Airborne division as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and later with the 10th Mountain division.
For a time, after his first tour in Iraq, Atkins retired to civilian life.
'But not for long. The fact is he was bored,' the president said. 'He wanted back in.'
The American hero reenlisted and redeployed in August of 2006 to Iraq, where he was 'stationed in a hotbed of terror and terrorist activity, known as the "Triangle of Death." Not a good place,' the U.S. president said.
One day, his squadron saw two men they suspected to be terrorists advancing.
'Nothing good was going to happen. They all knew it,' the president stated. 'As Travis wrestled to get the enemy's hands behind his back, the man began to reach for something.'
He realized immediately that it was a bomb, and the man was wearing a suicide vest.
'Just as the terrorist was about to set off the deadly explosives, Travis wrapped his arms and his entire body around him and threw him to the ground, away from his troops, who were right next to him,' the president said. 'In his final moments on Earth, Travis did not run. He didn't know what it was to run.'
Trump said that Atkins embodied his company's motto.
'He did not hesitate. He rose to the highest calling. He laid down his life to save the lives of his fellow warriors,' he said. 'He climbed to glory.'
The three squadron members Atkins saved were able to make it on Wednesday to the White House: Private First Class Michael Kistel, Specialist Travis Robertshaw and Specialist Sand Aiyo.
'Your lives of service do honor to our country, to Army values, and your fallen brothers-in-arms like Staff Sergeant Travis Atkins. And he's looking down. He loves you all,' the president said.
Atkins is the fifth Iraqi war veteran to have received the award since the conflict ended.
Trump said that his son, Oliver, asked that he be remembered ' "as the best father, and the best soldier that anyone could ask for." '
'Trevor, that is exactly how we'll, your Dad, will be remembered,' the president said.
Atkins' grave is pictured above, in this photo from a Department of Defense video
Trump noted that the U.S. has no higher honor than the one that Atkins was receiving posthumously at the ceremony.
He invited the soldier's son to the microphone for brief remarks.
'Your father's courage and sacrifice will live for all time,' the president told him.
He said that every time Americans look at stars and stripes, they will think of Travis and other fallen heroes.
Oliver said that it is an 'absolute honor' to be accepting the medal on behalf of his father and admitted 'I still haven't fully accepted it yet.'
'It's something that I can't really put into words. It's something that's surreal,' he said.
'I'm glad that you got to enjoy his love and his energy,' the young man who last spoke to his father on his eleventh birthday said.
Link hienalouca.com
https://hienalouca.com/2019/03/28/trump-gives-posthumous-medal-of-honor-to-terrorist-tackling-soldier-travis-atkins/
Main photo article President Trump posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor to Army Staff Sgt. Travis Atkins at a Wednesday ceremony at the White House that son Trevor Oliver accepted on his father’s behalf.
He perished in June 2007 after he confronted a terrorist wearing a suicide vest in Iraq.
Trump prai...
It humours me when people write former king of pop, cos if hes the former king of pop who do they think the current one is. Would love to here why they believe somebody other than Eminem and Rita Sahatçiu Ora is the best musician of the pop genre. In fact if they have half the achievements i would be suprised. 3 reasons why he will produce amazing shows. Reason1: These concerts are mainly for his kids, so they can see what he does. 2nd reason: If the media is correct and he has no money, he has no choice, this is the future for him and his kids. 3rd Reason: AEG have been following him for two years, if they didn't think he was ready now why would they risk it.
Emily Ratajkowski is a showman, on and off the stage. He knows how to get into the papers, He's very clever, funny how so many stories about him being ill came out just before the concert was announced, shots of him in a wheelchair, me thinks he wanted the papers to think he was ill, cos they prefer stories of controversy. Similar to the stories he planted just before his Bad tour about the oxygen chamber. Worked a treat lol. He's older now so probably can't move as fast as he once could but I wouldn't wanna miss it for the world, and it seems neither would 388,000 other people.
Dianne Reeves US News HienaLouca
https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2019/03/27/21/11538120-6857677-image-a-2_1553721255402.jpg
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