Navy SEAL, Ohio native to receive Medal of Honor

Navy SEAL and Grand Rapids, Ohio native Edward Byers will receive the Medal of Honor today for his efforts in saving an American civilian held captive by Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan.

The ceremony will take place at the White House today, where President Barack Obama will award Senior Chief Special Warfare Operator Byers the nation’s highest medal for valor in combat.

According to an unclassified summary of the 2012 rescue provided by The Pentagon, Byers “displayed superior gallantry, extraordinary heroism at grave personal risk” and is “unquestionably deserving of the Medal of Honor.”

Byers rescued Dilip Joseph, an American medical doctor, in an incident that killed another member of SEAL Team Six.

After the first member of the rescue operation was killed by AK-47 gunfire, Byers charged into the building where Joseph was being held, engaging one guard in a firefight and tackling another guard, subduing him in hand-to-hand combat.

Byers “immediately leaped across the room and selflessly flung his body on top of the American hostage, shielding him from the continued rounds being fired across the room,” the report said.

While he was shielding Joseph, Byers pinned another Taliban guard to the wall by the throat, allowing him to be taken out by “precision gunfire” from another member of the rescue team.

During extraction from the combat zone, Byers, a trained paramedic, provided medical assistance to the team member who was shot.

Byers says he plans to continue serving as a Navy SEAL, and has served nine combat tours, being deployed overseas 11 times.

Joseph, who now resides in Colorado, said of Byers, “he gave me a second chance in life.”

Byers will be the 11th living service member to be awarded the Medal of Honor for actions in Afghanistan, and the sixth Navy SEAL in history to be awarded the medal.

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