Three US Marine Corps members were honored with upgrades to their valor medals on August 26, 2026, to recognize their courageous actions during an attack encountered in Afghanistan while withdrawing five years ago.
August 26, 2021, a bombing occurred at a checkpoint inside Hamid Karzai International Airport in Afghanistan. These US Marine Corps members were on duty at the scene.
This week marked the fifth anniversary of the attack, and at the awards ceremony in the Hall of Heroes at the Pentagon, Marine Corps Sergeant Jonathan Eby and Corporal Jordan Houston were awarded the Bronze Star Medal with a “V” insignia recognizing their heroic actions.
Corporal Michael Gretzon was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with a “V” insignia.
At that time, Eby, Houston, and Gretzon were all part of G Company, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment. They were involved in the US withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021 and the evacuation of civilians.
On August 26, 2021, they were on duty at the entrance of Abbey Gate at the airport when a suicide bomber detonated explosives in the crowd. The explosion resulted in the deaths of 13 US service members and approximately 170 civilians, with dozens more injured.
Shrapnel from the bomb pierced several tear gas canisters, enveloping the crowd in irritating chemical smoke, causing chaos at the scene.
During the awards ceremony, Marine Corps Commandant General Eric M. Smith stated that Houston was only about 10 meters away from the explosion point at Abbey Gate and lost consciousness in the blast.
“He woke up to find his buttocks wounded by shrapnel but still held his position, providing cover for his comrades,” Smith said.
Gretzon was wounded in both arms by shrapnel at the time but returned to duty after his wounds were bandaged.
Smith mentioned that after his arm wounds were treated by medical personnel, Gretzon immediately returned to his post to aid his comrades until his superior personally ordered him to go to the casualty collection point, to which he “reluctantly” complied.
Eby was commended for quickly taking command of his platoon amid the chaos following the suicide bombing. He organized the evacuation of the wounded while ensuring the remaining forces established a secure perimeter around the checkpoint.
Smith noted that after rebuilding the security perimeter, Eby began assisting other team members and found his platoon leader among the casualties.
The Pentagon is conducting a review of the 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal operation. The upgrades for these 3 Marine Corps members are part of the review’s findings.
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth stated on Wednesday that in such extreme circumstances, these 3 soldiers demonstrated “pure and unwavering courage.”
“When the threat emerged, these 3 US Marine Corps members did not flinch,” he remarked.
In April this year, the review panel recommended upgrades for an additional 7 Marine Corps members who responded to the deadly bombing incident.
Hegseth expressed that the review panel is expected to submit a comprehensive report on the withdrawal and civilian evacuation mission by the end of 2026.