Army 1st Lt. Alonzo Cushing's battlefield heroism came more than a century before the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, but on Nov. 6, President Obama said Cushing's bravery and valor are still an inspiration to all Americans today.
Cushing, who died repelling a Confederate charge in the 1863 Battle of Gettysburg, was awarded the Medal of Honor in a White House ceremony featuring his distant relatives and most ardent supporters.
"Typically, this medal must be awarded within a few years of the action," Obama told the crowd. "But sometimes even the most extraordinary stories can get lost in the passage of time."
The 22-year-old Cushing was commanding Union forces during Pickett's Charge, and was wounded as thousands of enemy soldiers began the push north. But he refused a medical evacuation and continued to fight, moving himself and his men closer to the advancing army.
He was killed as the enemy closed within yards of his position. But Union forces said Cushing's stand slowed the enemy advance and allowed their forces to regroup and successfully repel the attack.
Obama noted the failed Confederate strategy became the turning point in the Civil War, and ultimately a critical moment in the nation's history.
"I'm mindful that I might not be standing here today, as president, had it not been for the ultimate sacrifices of those courageous Americans," he said.
But Cushing's heroism went unrewarded for generations. Some of his descendants and history scholars lobbied lawmakers for more than 30 years to award him the nation's highest military honor, successfully convincing Congress to allow military officials to reopen the case last year.
Cushing's closest living relative — Helen Loring Ensign, an 85-year-old twice-removed cousin — accepted the medal on behalf of her family.
Obama called the honor "part of our larger American story," and a reminder of the long-lasting consequences of bravery and valor.
"The spirit, the courage, the determination that [Cushing] demonstrated lives on in our brave men and women in uniform, who this very day are serving and ... defending the freedoms that Alonzo helped to preserve," he said.
"And it's incumbent on all of us as Americans to uphold the values that they fight for, and to continue to honor their service long after they leave the battlefield — for decades, even centuries to come."
Leo covers Congress, Veterans Affairs and the White House for Military Times. He has covered Washington, D.C. since 2004, focusing on military personnel and veterans policies. His work has earned numerous honors, including a 2009 Polk award, a 2010 National Headliner Award, the IAVA Leadership in Journalism award and the VFW News Media award.
