Medal of Honor for French soldier

Samantha David
A FRENCH-born US soldier has received America's highest military honour as President Obama has decorated Florent Groberg with the Medal of Honor for his bravery in tackling a suicide bomber.

US Army Ranger Captain Groberg (32) is now medically retired after his actions in Afghanistan in 2012 when four of his comrades were killed in a blast.

Born in Poissy, Yvelines, his parents, Larry (an American citizen) and Klara (French of Algerian descent) had taken him to live in Maryland when he was 11 years old, and he took American citizenship in 2001.

He served two tours of duty in Afghanistan with the Rangers, becoming part of a security detail for a colonel responsible for 4,000 men.

Army Capt. Florent Groberg describes what it feels like to be a Medal of Honor recipient https://t.co/aeGbiBTijq pic.twitter.com/IpSkeBnxt7— CBS News (@CBSNews) November 13, 2015

On August 8, 2012, in Kunar Province, while the commanding officer was meeting with Afghan leaders, two men wearing explosive vests approached the group on motorcycles.

Captain Groberg dived at one of them and managed to pin the man to the ground, chest down, minimising the explosion, which nevertheless threw him around 15 metres across the ground. He sustained mild brain injuries, a damaged ear drum and severe wounds to his left calf.

Almost immediately, the second bomber detonated his vest, killing four US soldiers and injuring several others.

His recovery has taken most of the last three years, and involved 30 operations to repair his damaged leg. But he is still in constant pain, wears a leg-brace and finds walking difficult.

This is an American hero: Capt. Groberg put it all on the line for his team. On his worst day, he gave us his best. pic.twitter.com/WdWAPswJpE— President Obama (@POTUS) November 12, 2015

Capt Groberg was inducted into the Pentagon's Hall of Heroes as Barack Obama draped the medal and ribbon around his neck in the East Room of the White House. He is only the 10th living service member to receive the nation's highest military award for “conspicuous gallantry” in Afghanistan or Iraq.

President Obama noted his track and cross-country feats at high school and said: “Training, guts, teamwork. What made Flo a great runner also made him a great soldier. In the Army, Flo again took his training seriously - hitting the books… paying attention to every detail in field exercises, because he knew that he had to be prepared for any scenario.”

That moment came when a man approached Capt Groberg’s group and Mr Obama said: “Flo did something extraordinary - he grabbed the bomber by his vest and kept pushing him away. In those few seconds, he had the instincts and the courage to do what was needed.

“One of Flo's comrades, Sgt. Andrew Mahoney, had joined in too, and together they shoved the bomber again and again… pushing him so hard he fell to the ground onto his chest… ball bearings, debris, dust exploded everywhere."

Before the ceremony Capt Groberg said the best part was receiving a personal phone call from President Obama: "It isn't every day that one of the most powerful and influential figures in the world calls your cellphone.”

Nevertheless, he says he is conflicted about the award, and often thinks about his comrades who died that day: Sgt Maj Kevin J Griffin, Maj Thomas E Kennedy, Maj Walter D Gray, and Foreign Service officer Ragaei Abdelfattah.

"Four true heroes, who gave it all," said Groberg. "This medal belongs to them. It is my mission to tell everyone, that this award belongs to them."

Today a civilian, Florent Groberg works at the Pentagon but says that he only did his duty in Afghanistan and his family says he refuses to be treated as a hero.

He has also said: “In my heart I will always be French, even if I am American on my father’s side.”