Proposed bill would allow fallen soldier to receive Medal of Honor

OVIEDO, Fla. - A bill recently passed by the House of Representatives would allow a fallen soldier who saved the lives of six others to receive the Medal of Honor.

Sergeant 1st Class Alwyn Cashe, who was born in Sanford and raised in Oviedo, died while pulling six men from a burning vehicle in Iraq. According to reports, after his military vehicle was hit in 2005, it burst into flames. Cashe was doused with fuel and despite being injured in the explosion, he returned to his vehicle to retrieve six of his fellow soldiers. Ultimately, 72 percent of his body was burned. He died shortly thereafter.

The Oviedo Post Office was recently named after Sergeant Cashe. The House of Representatives also just passed a bill that would allow his Silver Star Medal to be upgraded to a Medal of Honor, acknowledging his heroism on the battlefield. 

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Representative Stephanie Murphy sponsored the bill, stating that "disregarding his personal safety and enduring unimaginable pain in order to save multiple soldiers under his command from their burning vehicle after it hit an IED. His actions that day were so remarkable that they almost defy description."

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Representative Murphy believes that if anyone deserves this honor, its Sergeant Cashe, as his "actions reflect the highest standards of servant leadership devotion to duty and sheer bravery."

The bill has passed in the House and will still have to make it through the Senate. However, Representative Murphy does not foresee any opposition.

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