The push for Army Sgt. 1st Class Alwyn Cashe to posthumously receive the Medal of Honor has been approved and is on track to be announced, according to three sources who spoke to Newsweek.
Cashe has had a slow but steady and growing grassroots movement supporting the effort to award him the Medal of Honor for actions in combat while he was serving in Iraq in Oct. 2005.
When an IED struck a Bradley fighting vehicle belonging to the 3rd Infantry Division, Cashe's unit, he helped the driver out of his hatch before going back for six other soldiers trapped in the back of the flaming vehicle.
"Flames had engulfed the entire vehicle from the bottom and were coming out of every portal," his Silver Star citation reads. "The squad leader inside the vehicle managed to open the troop hatch door to help the soldiers escape. Without regard for his personal safety, Sergeant First Class Cashe rushed to the back of the vehicle, reaching into the hot flames and started pulling out his soldiers. The flames gripped his fuel soaked uniform. Flames quickly spread all over his body."
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Despite being on fire, with third-degree burns spreading over two-thirds of his body, Cashe went back for the final soldier before he was medically evacuated.
Cashe would succumb to his wounds several weeks later.
He was quickly approved for the Silver Star, which his commander later pushed to be upgraded to a Medal of Honor upon learning the full scope of Cashe's actions that day.
Over time, Cashe's story spread through the ranks of the U.S. military. His selfless sacrifice has inspired countless soldiers.
According to Newsweek, Cashe's family has been notified that their loved one will receive the Medal of Honor.
Cashe will be the first Black soldier to receive the Medal of Honor for heroic actions in combat since the Vietnam War.
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Reach Jack Murphy: jack@connectingvets.com or @JackMurphyRGR.