NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Four Tennessee National Guard soldiers have been given the Soldier’s Medal for acts of heroism, three of them stemming from a shooting at the Millington Armory last year.
The Soldier’s Medal is the highest peacetime award given to a soldier for acts of heroism that are not directly related to conflict with an armed enemy. The soldier must have placed his or her own life at risk while saving another person to earn the award
Tennessee’s adjutant general, Maj. Gen. Max Haston, presented the medal to Lt. Col. Hunter L. Belcher, a Lebanon native; Maj. William J. Crawford, a Henderson native; and Command Sgt. Maj. Christopher T. Crawford, a Lawrenceburg native, were given the medal for their actions when an assailant entered the Millington Armory last October.
Sgt. 1st Class Fred C. Mize III, a Strawberry Plains native, was awarded the medal after crawling into a burning vehicle and aiding three injured occupants in February 2013.
Belcher, William Crawford and Christopher Crawford received the award for their actions during an active shooter incident that happened when an assailant entered the Millington Armory trying to kill soldiers in the facility Oct. 24, 2013. Belcher and William Crawford were wounded by gunfire and continued to subdue the shooter, while Christopher Crawford assisted in the physical restraint of the assailant. Placing their lives at risk, the members’ conduct was above and beyond the call of duty that met the strict criteria for the award of the Soldier’s Medal.
Mize observed a severe collision between two vehicles Feb. 10, 2013. He was passing by the scene and took action by crawling into a burning vehicle and rendered life-saving assistance to three injured occupants while others assisted in care of victims in a second vehicle. His quick thinking and disregard for personal safety while rendering aid to the accident victims merits the award of the Soldier’s Medal.
All four are current or former members of the Tennessee National Guard Recruiting and Retention Command.
AP and Niki Gentry contributed to this story
