WASHINGTON—A Navy SEAL who helped rescue an American hostage in Afghanistan received the nation’s highest military honor Monday, hailed by President Barack Obama as “a special breed of warrior who so often serves in the shadows.”
Senior Chief Special Warfare Operator Edward Byers Jr. is the first living, active duty member of the Navy to receive the Medal of Honor in four decades.
Obama said during a ceremony at the White House that Byers is the “consummate, quiet professional” who would rather be elsewhere, perhaps holding his breath under dark, frigid water.
Byers moved off of the guard and threw himself on the hostage, using his body to shield Joseph from the bullets.
