1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:04,720 His name was Alwyn Cashe and just overnight the U.S. Senate 2 00:00:04,720 --> 00:00:07,520 unanimously passed legislation that clears the way for 3 00:00:07,520 --> 00:00:11,040 President Trump to award Sergeant Cashe the Medal of Honor, 4 00:00:11,040 --> 00:00:14,320 which, of course, is this country's highest award for 5 00:00:14,320 --> 00:00:18,880 valor in combat. If that happens, he would become the 6 00:00:18,880 --> 00:00:22,720 first African American to receive that honor for service 7 00:00:22,720 --> 00:00:28,720 in the wars in Iraq or Afghanistan. In certain parts of 8 00:00:28,720 --> 00:00:33,280 Central Florida, they know the name Alwyn Cashe. There's a post 9 00:00:33,280 --> 00:00:37,280 office and an Army Reserve center named in his honor. The 10 00:00:37,280 --> 00:00:41,120 lush Florida landscape is far from the Sunni triangle of 11 00:00:41,120 --> 00:00:46,000 Iraq, where Army Sergeant Cashe made the ultimate sacrifice in 12 00:00:46,000 --> 00:00:50,800 2005, just after midnight on October 17th Sergeant Cashe's unit 13 00:00:50,800 --> 00:00:55,360 left on patrol in two armored Bradley fighting vehicles. 14 00:00:55,360 --> 00:01:00,400 Not far from the base, the lead vehicle hit a powerful IED. 15 00:01:00,400 --> 00:01:05,400 Cashe and Douglas Dodge were in that lead vehicle. The explosion 16 00:01:05,400 --> 00:01:08,440 penetrated the fuel cylinder under the vehicle. We were all on fire. 17 00:01:08,440 --> 00:01:12,600 It was the initiation of a complex ambush. Cashe, mostly 18 00:01:12,600 --> 00:01:16,920 unhurt but covered in fuel, dragged out the driver 19 00:01:16,920 --> 00:01:20,200 who was on fire, then raced to the back of the Bradley, where he found 20 00:01:20,200 --> 00:01:24,520 Dodge, who had escaped through a small exit door. Five others 21 00:01:24,520 --> 00:01:27,640 were still trapped inside the burning Bradley, Sergeant Cashe 22 00:01:27,640 --> 00:01:30,440 just appeared out of the darkness and he looked at me 23 00:01:30,440 --> 00:01:34,360 he's like Dodge where the boys? 24 00:01:35,000 --> 00:01:41,580 I'm sorry. It's okay, that's okay. And I just looked at him and he 25 00:01:41,580 --> 00:01:45,580 had, he was only wearing his helmet, his body armor and his 26 00:01:45,580 --> 00:01:50,860 boots because everything else had been burned off of him and 27 00:01:50,860 --> 00:01:53,340 without hesitation he, after he asked me that question, he 28 00:01:53,340 --> 00:01:56,940 turned and he just climbed into the Bradley. With gunfire 29 00:01:56,940 --> 00:02:00,380 raging Sergeant Cashe charged into the back of the burning 30 00:02:00,380 --> 00:02:07,180 vehicle and dragged out his wounded men over and over again. 31 00:02:07,180 --> 00:02:11,100 Sergeant Gary Mills was among those Sergeant Cashe pulled out. 32 00:02:11,100 --> 00:02:16,700 It was so thick of smoke. Only thing I felt was a hand reach 33 00:02:16,700 --> 00:02:19,820 and grabbed my leg and was helping me get out. I knew it 34 00:02:19,820 --> 00:02:23,100 was him. Unfortunately, all the screams and everything and you 35 00:02:23,100 --> 00:02:26,460 know that it wasn't nobody in there helping us. Cashe and the 36 00:02:26,460 --> 00:02:29,340 surviving soldiers were eventually evacuated to the 37 00:02:29,340 --> 00:02:34,140 burn unit at Brook Army Medical Center in Texas. Kasinal White Cashe, 38 00:02:34,140 --> 00:02:38,940 Sergeant Cashe's sister, was at her brother's bed. When I saw him, 39 00:02:38,940 --> 00:02:48,560 I wish I hadn't because he was so swollen and wrapped up 40 00:02:48,560 --> 00:02:55,280 but his face, his face look like it look like my baby. He look 41 00:02:55,280 --> 00:03:00,480 like Al. You actually got to see Sergeant Cashe in the 42 00:03:00,480 --> 00:03:04,880 hospital. What did you say to him? What did he say to you? 43 00:03:04,880 --> 00:03:08,000 I asked him how he was doing and he told me, you know, Dodge 44 00:03:08,000 --> 00:03:11,840 today I got up and I took two steps across the room and then 45 00:03:11,840 --> 00:03:17,260 he said tomorrow I'm gonna get up and I'm gonna walk across 46 00:03:17,260 --> 00:03:23,100 the room. Sergeant Cashe would die of his wounds on November 8, 47 00:03:23,100 --> 00:03:28,300 2005. Of the nine men in that vehicle, only three have 48 00:03:28,300 --> 00:03:32,700 survived. Cashe was awarded a Silver Star but as details of 49 00:03:32,700 --> 00:03:37,100 the attack emerged a campaign started to get the award 50 00:03:37,100 --> 00:03:41,340 upgraded to the Medal of Honor. Recently, there have been calls 51 00:03:41,340 --> 00:03:45,100 to rename Fort Benning for Sergeant Cashe and Steelers 52 00:03:45,100 --> 00:03:48,080 player and Army veteran Alejandro Villanueva wore 53 00:03:48,080 --> 00:03:52,240 Cashe's name on his helmet in support of the push to award 54 00:03:52,240 --> 00:03:56,720 him the Medal of Honor, I find it remarkable that if this does 55 00:03:56,720 --> 00:04:02,080 happen, your baby brother would be the first African-American 56 00:04:02,080 --> 00:04:06,640 to receive the Medal of Honor for their service in Iraq and 57 00:04:06,640 --> 00:04:10,800 Afghanistan. Is that important to you? 58 00:04:10,800 --> 00:04:14,640 It's important that he receives it as a soldier for what he did. 59 00:04:14,640 --> 00:04:18,240 I don't ever want anybody to say he got it because he's a black 60 00:04:18,240 --> 00:04:22,480 man and there was a push, you know. He got it because he 61 00:04:22,480 --> 00:04:29,260 deserved it. And it is hard to argue against that. 15 years, 62 00:04:29,260 --> 00:04:32,780 15 years and now the recommendation to award the 63 00:04:32,780 --> 00:04:35,900 Medal of Honor to Sergeant Cashe is headed to the President's 64 00:04:35,900 --> 00:04:39,820 desk and last night, a White House source told NBC News that 65 00:04:39,820 --> 00:04:43,660 the President is supportive of approving the award. Although 66 00:04:43,660 --> 00:04:48,460 at this point, no word on when that might happen. Wow, so 67 00:04:48,460 --> 00:04:50,380 great you're telling those stories, Craig. It's amazing to 68 00:04:50,380 --> 00:04:53,020 think that these stories are out there and that we just 69 00:04:53,020 --> 00:04:56,980 don't know about them yet. Almost 3,500 medals have been 70 00:04:56,980 --> 00:05:00,900 awarded only 90 go to African Americans. Robert 71 00:05:00,900 --> 00:05:04,180 Sweeney, of course won two of them. I certainly hope this 72 00:05:04,180 --> 00:05:09,480 goes to fruition. There are a lot of folks, Carson, that 73 00:05:09,480 --> 00:05:14,360 hope so as well, myself included and to your point, I 74 00:05:14,360 --> 00:05:17,640 admittedly didn't know about the story until a producer 75 00:05:17,640 --> 00:05:20,600 brought it to my attention about 6 months ago, and there 76 00:05:20,600 --> 00:05:23,560 are other stories like Sergeant Cashe's out there as well. 77 00:05:23,560 --> 00:05:26,520 Let's keep telling them and that's so important. Keep us 78 00:05:26,520 --> 00:05:28,840 posted.