A former Army captain has been recommended for the Medal of Honor, having played a vital role two years ago countering an ambush in eastern Afghanistan and braving enemy fire to help retrieve the bodies of three fallen Marines and a corpsman.
Will Swenson, who left active duty in February, was put up for the nation's highest combat valor award for his actions during the Sept. 8, 2009, battle in the remote village of Ganjgal, according to an officer who was with Task Force Mountain Warrior, the brigade that oversaw Swenson's unit. Swenson worked alongside then-Marine Cpl. Dakota Meyer, who received the Medal of Honor on Thursday for actions in the same battle.
Approval of Swenson's award had apparently stalled, but it received new scrutiny last month by Marine Gen. John Allen, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal. The second look came after rampant speculation as to why Swenson had not received an award for valor. |