Legislation Passed for Alwyn Cashe to Receive Medal of Honor
PITTSBURGH -- Headlines following the Pittsburgh Steelers' Week 1 win over the New York Giants didn't discuss the victory. Instead, focus turned to left tackle Alejandro Villanueva and the name he chose to represent on the back of his helmet.
While the rest of the team wore 'Antwon Rose Jr.' on a helmet sticker, a 17-year-old black teenager who was shot and killed by an East Pittsburgh police officer in 2018, Villanueva created his own sticker that read the name Alwyn Cashe.
Cashe, an Army Sgt. 1st Class, quickly became a name most of Steelers Nation grew to know. His story spread throughout the team, and within days, many Pittsburgh fans started rooting for Cashe as well.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Cashe died in 2005 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle in Samarra, Iraq, according to the Military Times. He suffered second and third-degree burns on 70% of his body as he ran back into the vehicle to rescue six of his fellow soldiers. He passed three weeks later.
What many did not know - that Villanueva brought to light - was that Cashe was being considered for the Medal of Honor.
"I felt like my decision to honor Sgt. 1st Class Alywn Cashe was something very personal to me due to the fact that in the veteran community there's a strong push to get him a Medal of Honor, which is something that the community believes he deserves," Villanueva, a former Army Ranger, said in September.
While most Medal of Honor recipients receive the award within five years of his heroic act, there was a growing push for Cashe to be honored 15-years later. He would also become the first African American soldier to win the award for efforts during the Iraq or Afghanistan war.
On Tuesday, the United States Senate passed legislation that would remove the five-year requirement for someone to receive the Medal of Honor.
"Alwyn Cashe's incredible bravery on the battlefield in service of his fellow Americans is worthy of the Medal of Honor," Sen. Tom Cotton, (R.-Ark.), said in a statement to the Washington Post. "Now, Mr. Cashe's ultimate sacrifice can be formally recognized by the president and appreciated by our grateful nation."
President Donald Trump's approval is now the last step for Cashe to receive the award.
Noah Strackbein is a Publisher with AllSteelers. Follow Noah on Twitter @NoahStrack, and AllSteelers @si_steelers.
