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Secretary of Defense says former Oklahoma guardsman ‘earned’ place in Hall of Heroes

Kari Williams
by Kari Williams
December 16, 2021
medal of honor

President Joseph R. Biden Jr. presents the Medal of Honor to U.S. Army Master Sgt. Earl D. Plumlee during a ceremony at the White House in Washington, D.C., Dec. 16, 2021. Master Sgt. Plumlee was awarded the Medal of Honor for actions of valor during Operation Enduring Freedom while serving as a weapon’s sergeant with Charlie Company, 4th Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne), near Ghazni, Afghanistan, Aug. 28, 2013.. U.S. Army photo by Laura Buchta

Staff Sgt. Earl Plumlee was serving in Ghazni Province, Afghanistan, on Aug. 28, 2013, when he used his body as a human shield, ran toward insurgents – killing two – and carried a fellow soldier to safety.

Now a master sergeant, Plumlee was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions as part of Charlie Company, 4th Battalion, 1st Special Force Group (Airborne), with which he had been deployed since April 2013.

“The medal I’ll receive tomorrow will be presented to me, but it’s by no means mine,” Plumlee said during a media roundtable on Wednesday. “My entire team that was with me that day played a huge part in making sure that we were successful. It’s representative of the special forces regiment and of all the operators protecting this country day in and day out.”

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III said during a Hall of Heroes induction ceremony on Friday that of all the “individual acts of bravery and skill,” Plumlee was most proud of “linking back up” with his team.

“Take it from your buddies who are here today, take it from your commanders who have told your story and take it from me – Over and over, you have more than earned your place here,” Austin said.

RELATED: The fight for Alwyn Cashe’s earned legacy

On that day, an explosion created a 60-foot breach in Forward Operating Base Ghazni’s perimeter, allowing 10 insurgents donning “ Afghan National Army uniforms and suicide vests” to breach the base, according to the battle narrative.

Plumlee was among six special operations soldiers who “raced toward the detonation site.”

“Plumlee’s driver purposefully maneuvered the vehicle into enemy fire to shield three dismounted teammates, two of whom were injured, placing the vehicle under effective enemy fire from the front and right side,” the narrative stated.

Medal of Honor
Then-Staff Sgt. Earl Plumlee, poses for a photo during pre-deployment training, 2013, Yakima, Wash. Photo Credit: U.S. Army

Plumlee then shielded the driver from enemy fire, while “drawing his pistol and engaging an insurgent 15 meters to the vehicle’s right.” He ultimately killed two insurgents and later carried a wounded soldier to safety and rendered first aid. Once organizing a defensive stance, he continued to survey the area for “any remaining threats.”

“Throughout the entire engagement, Plumlee repeatedly placed himself in extreme danger to protect his team and the base, and to defeat the enemy,” the narrative stated.

Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth said during Friday’s ceremony that soldiers who served alongside Plumlee speak highly of his “loyalty to his team.

“Some of them are watching today and they credit him with turning the tide of battle that day because he never waits around,” Wormuth said. “He’s a man of action.”

Plumlee was born in Clinton, Oklahoma, where he grew up on a cattle ranch. He joined the Oklahoma National Guard’s 45th Infantry Division as a rocket artilleryman while a junior in high school.

After high school, he joined the Marines in 2000, serving with Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, in Kaneohe, Hawaii. Plumlee served in various units, deploying to Okinawa, Japan; Bahrain; Zamboanga, Philippines, among others.

He and his wife, Terrie, have two children.

Sgt. 1st Class Alwyn Cashe and Sgt. 1st Class Christopher A. Celiz also will receive the Medal of Honor at the ceremony.

“The only possible way I could fathom to heap a little more prestige on the Medal of Honor is to receive it in the shadow of these two men,” Plumlee said. “I belabor the point, [but] it’s just so humbling when you read both their narratives and to be a part of their story it’s an astounding weight to carry.”

The full media roundtable can be viewed online.

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Tags: Earl PlumleeJoe BidenMedal of HonorNational GuardOklahomaOklahoma National GuardPresident Joe Biden
Kari Williams

Kari Williams

Kari Williams is an associate editor for AmeriForce Media. She has more than a decade of experience in the journalism industry across print, digital and social media platforms throughout the Midwest. She found a passion for covering veterans issues through her work as a writer and editor for VFW magazine. Kari has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mass communications from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. When she’s not writing about the military or working on freelance projects, she enjoys working out in her home gym, hanging out with her two rescue dogs and checking out live music and pro wrestling shows. She resides in Kansas City, Missouri, just a short drive from Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

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