Washington D.C., Apr 10, 2008 / 03:33 am
A Navy SEAL and devoted Catholic who died after jumping on a grenade to save his fellow soldiers’ lives was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor on Tuesday.
In an East Room ceremony, President George W. Bush described the life of Petty Officer Second Class Michael Anthony Monsoor, praising his sacrifice that earned him the United States’ highest decoration for military valor.
“The Medal of Honor is awarded for an act of such courage that no one could rightly be expected to undertake it,” the president said.
A biography posted on the Navy’s web site said that Monsoor would attend Mass “devotionally” before going on military missions.