A Miamisburg, Ohio, veteran who died during the Vietnam War may soon receive the Medal of Honor.
U.S. Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), J.D. Vance (R-OH) and Gary Peters (D-MI) introduced legislation on Thursday that would allow for Sergeant Gary Lee McKiddy to receive the honor posthumously.
According to Brown's office, McKiddy was a helicopter crew chief and door gunner in the First Cavalry Division in Vietnam.
"Sergeant Gary McKiddy was a true American hero. At just 20 years old, he laid down his life to save the lives of others. He embodied the greatest virtues of our nation's armed services and is deserving of our highest military honor," Vance said in a statement.
In May 1970, McKiddy's helicopter crashed due to enemy fire and survived. Upon returning to the burning wreckage, he brought Specialist James Skaggs to safety. When returning a second time to save the pilot, McKiddy was killed by an explosion caused by the helicopter's fuel cells.
McKiddy was awarded the Silver Star but never the Medal of Honor, the highest award for action against an enemy force that can be received by a service member of the U.S. Armed Forces, Brown's office said.
Under current legislation, awarding the Medal of Honor would be prohibited because an application was submitted after October 1975, but this new legislation would change that.
"Sergeant McKiddy served our country honorably and courageously—making the ultimate sacrifice to rescue his fellow servicemembers," Stabenow said in a statement. "I'm honored to join my colleagues in introducing this legislation so that he can receive the Congressional Medal of Honor."
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