A Kentucky native and former Marine Corporal will receive the Medal of Honor from President Barack Obama next month for his actions in Afghanistan two years ago.Dakota Meyer will be the third living recipient of the nation’s highest combat honor and first living Marine recipient of the award since the Vietnam War. The 23-year-old is being honored on September 15 for his courageous actions in 2009, the White House announced.He retrieved the bodies of four fellow U.S. troops and an Afghan soldier who came under fire and died in Afghanistan. Meyer, who was serving as a turret gunner and driver, found the men dead in a trench.From Human Events: They came under attack from heavily armed insurgents who outnumbered them more than four to one. Frantic pleas for artillery support were refused, leading to letters of reprimand for several of the officers in charge of the operation.
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Meyer was already suffering from shrapnel wounds at the time. He nevertheless assisted in the retrieval of the bodies. All four of the fallen soldiers were subsequently honored with Bronze Stars.
Meyer is a 2006 graduate of Green County High School. He now lives in Austin, Texas.