Andrew Mahoney, left, Pfc. Benjamin Secor and Command Sgt. Griffin was killed by a suicide bomber attack in Asadabad, Afghanistan, on Aug. For every Medal of Honor recipient, there are men who have recorded incredible feats of bravery on the battlefield. The Department of Defense is making an effort to fix that injustice. Defense officials are currently reviewing the cases of more than 1, top-level valor awards to determine whether they should be upgraded to Medals of Honor.
The team, led by Capt. Among them was the brigade commander, then-Col. As they neared a bridge, two motorcycles approached the patrol from the front, a ploy to get attention. Groberg and Mahoney noticed a man off to the side, acting suspiciously.
The man was one of two suicide bombers targeting the patrol that day. Mahoney said Groberg rushed the bomber, and Mahoney was right on his heels. Together, they forced the attacker backward and tackled him to the ground, seconds before he detonated the suicide vest he was wearing. A second bomber detonated his bomb soon after the first. Mahoney was severely wounded as well.
There was blood all over my arm, all over my legs. Even though injured, Mahoney continued his mission, calling for medical evacuation before securing the surviving officials.
He and another soldier took Mingus across the road to take cover behind a small, chest-high wall. Then the second bomber detonated his bomb. They remained there, waiting for a follow-up attack, until they were evacuated to Fiaz. Kennedy, Air Force Maj. Agency for International Development employee Ragaei Abdelfattah were killed during the attack. Once evacuated, Mahoney said the adrenaline wore off and he was struck by all that had just happened.
