SPOKANE, Wash. — In 2009, he received the Silver Star of Valor and nine years later, Ronald J. Shurer will receive a Medal of Honor.
In April 2008, Shurer was assigned to support a special forces unit in Afghanistan's Shok Valley. As the team moved through the valley, a fire broke out. According to the White House, Shurer, a senior medical sergeant, sprinted through enemy fire to treat an injured soldier.
Shurer faced many bullets to catch up to the portion of his unit closest to the fight. Once there, he treated four more wounded soldiers and carried them down the mountainside, shielding them from bullets and debris.
He then loaded the wounded soldiers onto the helicopter and headed back to the fight. A White House statement said his actions saved the lives of his teammates.
Washington State University reports that Shurer is a WSU graduate and attended high school in Puyallup.
Shurer and his family now live in Virginia and he is set to receive the Medal of Honor on Oct. 1.
KREM 2 reached out to Shurer and he said he was truly honored for the recognition.