Biden awards the Medal of Honor and Medal of Valor to military heroes and first responders

WASHINGTON (AP) — On Feb. 15, 1951, Army Pvt. Bruno R. Orig was returning from a mission when he found his fellow soldiers under attack in what's now known as the Battle of Chipyong-ni.

The infantryman provided first aid to his comrades wounded in the Korean War attack and began helping move those men to safety. He then took over a machine gun post and allowed a friendly platoon to pull back without a casualty. When the ground was recaptured later that day, Orig was found dead beside the machine gun, surrounded by enemy combatants he had killed.

Orig was among the Medal of Honor recipients recognized Friday by President Joe Biden in one of his last opportunities to officially acknowledge acts of selflessness and personal bravery in times of war. Biden bestowed the medal posthumously to six men and one living recipient at a White House ceremony. In a separate Oval Office ceremony closed to the news media, he awarded the Medal of Valor to eight first responders who put their own lives at risk to save others.

“These are heroes of different ranks, different positions and even different generations," Biden said at the Medal of Honor ceremony Friday evening. “They are heroes who all went above and beyond the call of duty.”

During the Korean War, Pfc. Wataru Nakamura destroyed an enemy machine gun nest and recaptured several bunkers. He exhausted his ammunition but resumed his attack after being rearmed, and he was ultimately killed by an enemy grenade and buried in Los Angeles.

Army Cpl. Fred B. McGee is being recognized for his gallantry and intrepidity near Tang-Wan-Ni, Korea, on June 16, 1952, when he assumed command of his squad, neutralized an enemy machine gun and then sent his squad back while he helped rescue the wounded. The Ohio native died in 2020, according to news reports.

Army Pfc. Charles R. Johnson, from Millbrook, New York, was killed on June 12, 1953, after holding off Chinese forces during the Korean War. His actions saved the lives of as many as 10 soldiers.

After multiple raids on an entrenched enemy in the area of Sagimak during the Korean War, Army 1st Lt. Richard E. Cavazos stayed behind alone to evacuate five battle casualties to safety. Cavazos served more than three decades in the service, eventually attaining the rank of four-star general. The Texan died in 2018 at age 88. Fort Hood was renamed in honor of him on May 9, 2023.

After an armed helicopter crashed during the Vietnam War on June 5, 1966, Army Capt. Hugh R. Nelson Jr. from Rocky Mount, North Carolina, pulled two specialists from the aircraft, shielding one of them from enemy gunfire at the loss of his own life.

While fighting in Vietnam on May 7, 1970, then-Army Pfc. Kenneth J. David drew enemy fire away from injured comrades and onto himself, becoming wounded by a satchel charge. But David kept fighting and pulled fire away from landing Medevac helicopters, getting evacuated himself after the last helicopter landed. The Ohioan is still living.

Acknowledging his last days as president, Biden on Friday called it the greatest honor of his life to be entrusted to lead the country and “the finest military in the history of the world.”

On Friday, Biden also awarded eight people the Medal of Valor, which goes to those who have shown exceptional courage in attempting to save human lives.

The recipients included the law enforcement officials who responded to a shooter who killed six people on March 27, 2023, at The Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee.

The Nashville Police Department's Sgt. Jeffrey Mathes, Officer Rex Engelbert and Detectives Michael Collazo, Ryan Cagle and Zachary Plese rushed to the scene and faced gunfire from the shooter. They cleared out classrooms and ultimately took down the shooter.

Biden also recognized Sgt. Tu Tran of the Lincoln, Nebraska, Police Department. On Feb. 22, 2023, Tran swam 30 feet (9 meters) into a frigid pond to rescue a woman from a submerging vehicle.

Lt. John Vanderstar, a New York City firefighter, received the Medal of Valor for rescuing a mother and child from a burning apartment on Oct. 23, 2022. Separately, New York City firefighter Brendan Gaffney was honored for braving an apartment building fire to save an unconscious child and a pregnant woman.

An official holds medals during an event for President Joe Biden to award the Presidential Citizens Medal to recipients in the East Room at the White House, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

President Joe Biden stands during an event to award the Presidential Citizens Medal to recipients in the East Room at the White House, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

President Joe Biden listens to a reporter's question after an event to award the Presidential Citizens Medal to recipients in the East Room at the White House, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

President Joe Biden awards the Presidential Citizens Medal to Grace McCarthy on behalf of Carolyn McCarthy during a ceremony in the East Room at the White House, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

President Joe Biden awards the Presidential Citizens Medal to Cynthia Baker on behalf of Nancy Kassebaum during a ceremony in the East Room at the White House, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

President Joe Biden awards the Presidential Citizens Medal to Rupa Redding-Lallinger on behalf of Louis Redding during a ceremony in the East Room at the White House, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

President Joe Biden awards the Presidential Citizens Medal to Collins Seitz, Jr., on behalf of Collins Seitz during a ceremony in the East Room at the White House, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

President Joe Biden awards the Presidential Citizens Medal to Wayne Tsutsumi on behalf of Mitsuye Endo Tsutsumi during a ceremony in the East Room at the White House, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

President Joe Biden awards the Presidential Citizens Medal to Gracie Galloway on behalf of Joseph Galloway during a ceremony in the East Room at the White House, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

CORRECTS SPELLING OF LAST NAME TO BONAUTO, NOT BONUATO - President Joe Biden awards the Presidential Citizens Medal to Mary Bonauto during a ceremony in the East Room at the White House, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

President Joe Biden, center, poses for a photo with Medal of Valor honorees in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Friday, Jan. 3, 2025. Honorees are, from left, Lt. John Vanderstar of the New York City Fire Department, Firefighter Brendan Gaffney of the New York City Fire Department, Sgt. Tu Tran, of the Lincoln, Neb. Police Department, Det. Michael Collazo, of the Nashville, Tenn. Police Department, Chief John Drake, receiving on behalf of Officer Rex Engelbert, of the Nashville, Tenn. Police Department, Sgt. Jeffrey Mathes, of the Nashville, Tenn. Police Department, Det. Zachary Plese, of the Nashville, Tenn. Police Department, and Det. Ryan Cagle, of the Nashville, Tenn. Police Department. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

President Joe Biden speaks before presenting the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military decoration, to several recipients during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Friday, Jan. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

President Joe Biden speaks before presenting the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military decoration, to several recipients during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Friday, Jan. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

President Joe Biden presents the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military decoration, to then-Private First Class Kenneth J. David, during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Friday, Jan. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

President Joe Biden presents the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military decoration, to then-Private First Class Kenneth J. David, during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Friday, Jan. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

President Joe Biden, center, poses for a photo with Medal of Valor honorees in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Friday, Jan. 3, 2025. Honorees are, from left, Lt. John Vanderstar of the New York City Fire Department, Firefighter Brendan Gaffney of the New York City Fire Department, Sgt. Tu Tran, of the Lincoln, Neb. Police Department, Det. Michael Collazo, of the Nashville, Tenn. Police Department, Chief John Drake, receiving on behalf of Officer Rex Engelbert, of the Nashville, Tenn. Police Department, Sgt. Jeffrey Mathes, of the Nashville, Tenn. Police Department, Det. Zachary Plese, of the Nashville, Tenn. Police Department, and Det. Ryan Cagle, of the Nashville, Tenn. Police Department. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

President Joe Biden presents the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military decoration, to then-Private First Class Kenneth J. David, during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Friday, Jan. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

FILE - Covenant School parents and their attorneys huddle in prayer outside a courtroom before a hearing to decide whether documents and journals of a Nashville school shooter can be released to the public, April 17, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Travis Loller, File)

President Joe Biden speaks during an event to mark his administration's efforts to confirm federal judges during his term in the State Dining Room at the White House, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

VIENNA (AP) — Austrian People’s Party on Sunday nominated its General Secretary Christian Stocker as interim leader after the expected resignation of Chancellor Karl Nehammer, Austrian news agency APA reported.

Nehammer announced Saturday he would resign in the next few days after coalition talks with the Social Democrats collapsed.

Stocker, a lawyer and member of the Austrian Parliament, has served as general secretary of the People’s Party since 2022. He is seen as an experienced and calm crisis communicator who has frequently appeared in Austrian media to defend controversial decisions.

It is not clear yet who will become acting chancellor until a new government is formed.

Protected by special police forces, Nehammer walked across the square from the Chancellery toward the president’s office in Vienna.

“What is important for me is that the way of stability and the center can be continued,” he said.

Austria’s President Alexander Van der Bellen will make a public statement to announce the next steps once the meeting with Nehammer is over.

The 52-year-old Nehammer became chancellor and conservative party leader in 2021, after his predecessor Sebastian Kurz was forced to stand down following allegations of corruption.

In April 2022, Nehammer became the first European leader to visit Moscow and meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin since the invasion of Ukraine in February that year. Before going to Moscow, he also met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv.

Austria was thrown into political turmoil on Friday after the liberal party NEOS pulled out of coalition talks with the center-left Social Democrats and the conservative People’s Party. On Saturday the two remaining parties, who have a razor-thin majority in Parliament, made another attempt to negotiate and form a government – but this effort also ended in failure after a few hours, with negotiators saying they were unable to agree on how to repair the budget deficit.

FILE - Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer attends a press conference in Vienna on Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Heinz-Peter Bader, File)