President Obama to Award Bay Area Man With Medal of Honor

Antioch soldier will receive America's highest military honor for his heroism during one of the most intense firefights during the war in Afghanistan

President Barack Obama will award an Antioch man with the Medal of Honor.

The White House on Friday announced U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Ty M. Carter will receive the Medal of Honor for his courageous actions while serving as a cavalry scout during combat operations in Afghanistan on Oct. 3, 2009.

The Army says Carter killed enemy troops, resupplied ammunition to American fighters, rendered first aid and risked his own life to save an injured soldier pinned down by a barrage of enemy fire.

On that day, more than 400 anti-Afghan forces attempted to overrun a combat outpost held by a 54-soldier squad Carter belonged to.

The group defended the position and suffered eight casualties and more than 25 injuries.

Carter's actions during the more than six-hour standoff were heroic, officials said.

Carter will be the fifth living recipient to be awarded the Medal of Honor for action in Iraq or Afghanistan, officials said.

He grew up in the Bay Area, but now lives up in Washington State with his wife Shannon and their three children.

Carter, who enlisted in the Army in January 2008 as a cavalry scout, is currently stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

Carter's dad Mark Carter told NBC Bay area he is proud of his son. He said not many fathers are able to witness something like this. (Mark Carter pictured above right.)

Mark Carter told us part of what happened that day, "My son was apparently in one of those. He rolled down the window. He can see the insurgents coming to the fence. He rolled down the window; shooting two of them. Pop, pop. He would then roll it up. Pop, pop, pop. It would hit the bullet proof glass, where he'd been shooting at. He said they [the insurgents] were well-funded, well-trained."

He said during the firefighter, his son saw a wounded comrade about 30 feet away so he ran out to rescue him as a hail of bullet rang overhead. Unfortunately, that soldier's injuries were too severe. He was among those who died Oct. 3, 2009.

Mark Carter said his son doesn't talk about what happened that day in Afghanistan because it is too painful for him. Ty Carter carries around a piece of paper that has a statement he wrote about the attack and asks people to read it if it is ever brought up in conversation.

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