Secretary of War Pete Hegseth gave honor where honor was due to three soldiers who acted heroically following the suicide bombing attacks at Abbey Gate in Kabul, Afghanistan, in August 2021.
Fox News reported that the Pentagon brass downgraded the original award submissions, as the Biden administration sought to quickly put the Afghanistan pullout disaster in the rear-view mirror.
“For half a decade, this building allowed bureaucratic caution, or maybe politics, to stand in the way of proper recognition,” Hegseth said on Wednesday, the fifth anniversary of the Abbey Gate attack. “Today, on this milestone anniversary, we declare that those days are over.”
“For too long, leadership in this capital city failed to match that frontline courage with administrative backbone, inappropriately downgrading the original award submissions that these men rightfully deserved,” Hegseth said.
“By upgrading these awards, we are stating clearly that America’s warriors will be fiercely supported and our military’s lethal edge will not be compromised by deskbound bureaucracy or lawyers in the cheap seats,” he added.
Hegseth presented upgraded Bronze Star Medals with “V” devices for valor to Gunnery Sgt. Jonathan Eby and Lance Cpl. Jordan Houston. Cpl. Michael Gretzon received the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with a “V” device for valor.
The “V” device is used to recognize specific acts of heroism versus more general meritorious service in combat.
🚨 JUST IN: In a truly incredible moment, SecWar Pete Hegseth just PERSONALLY gave upgraded valor awards to US Marines who were DOWNGRADED by the Biden admin after they ran into danger in the 2021 Abbey Gate bombings
Biden tried HIDING his failure by throwing THEM under the bus.… pic.twitter.com/rr36r3AEas
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) August 26, 2026
Assistant to the Secretary of War for Public Affairs Sean Parnell, who chairs the Afghanistan Withdrawal Special Review Panel, which is examining the Abbey Gate attack and the overall Afghanistan withdrawal, posted video from Wednesday’s ceremony with the men receiving their upgraded awards.
Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Eric Smith recounted at Wednesday’s ceremony that Eby, as soon as he regained his footing following the bomb blast that killed or wounded half his platoon, took command and rallied his remaining Marines to establish security and evacuate the wounded.
Houston, who was briefly knocked unconscious by the blast and was wounded by shrapnel, stayed at his post to provide cover for his fellow Marines and lifesaving medical treatment.
And Gretzon was hit by shrapnel, which wounded his arm so severely that he applied his own tourniquet to stop the bleeding. After being bandaged up by medical personnel, he returned to his squad to help in the recovery effort until his platoon sergeant ordered him to the casualty collection point.
Today, we recognized three Marines for their heroism at Abbey Gate five years ago.
Gunnery Sergeant Jonathan Eby, Corporal Michael Gretzon, and Lance Corporal Jordan Houston went above and beyond for their fellow Marines.
Their records did not properly reflect their heroism.… pic.twitter.com/48k7VAlCVD
— Sean Parnell (@SeanParnellASW) August 27, 2026
Hegseth said of the three men, “Rather than seeking cover, they stepped forward to secure the perimeter. They kept their fellow Marines focused and pulled the wounded to safety. Under direct fire, they risked their lives to protect their brothers and complete the evacuation.”
“Marines, on this fifth anniversary, your valor is now officially, permanently, and properly recognized,” he added. “You represent the very heart of peace through strength.”
How refreshing to have leadership at the War Department that honors true combat virtues like courage, loyalty, and honor.
Thankfully, it’s a far cry from the Biden years, when wokeness reigned supreme in the halls of the Pentagon.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
Ad block users: Some site features may not work correctly while an ad blocker is enabled, because they break scripts and content this website depends on. If you can’t see comments below, for example, please disable your ad blocker.
Read the full article here