•
Paul K. Carlton Jr., for his rescuing several people after
American Airlines Flight 77, which crashed into
the Pentagon during the
September 11 attacks •
Adam Kinzinger, for saving the life of a woman who was being attacked by her knife-wielding boyfriend. •
Michael Landsberry, for his actions during the
2013 Sparks Middle School shooting, including reasoning with the shooter and protecting several students. •
William H. Pitsenbarger for aiding and defending a unit of soldiers pinned down by an enemy assault during the
Vietnam War. Before his death he helped save over 60 men in the battle. •
Spencer Stone, for disarming a terrorist during the
2015 Thalys train attack. •
Colonel Paul Sowada and
Cadet 2nd Class Phillip Michael Sowada, who rescued three people from drowning off the beach at Vandenberg Air Force Base on Christmas Day, 1997. The three swimmers were caught in a dangerous rip tide and were being swept out to sea. They are also the only father/son duo to be awarded the medal for the same act of valor. •
Matthew La Porte, Cadet La Porte distinguished himself by heroism involving voluntary risk of life in Norris Hall on the campus of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University on 16 April 2007. On that day gunfire erupted in the hallway outside of Room 211 and the professor told her students to get down and to move to the back of the classroom to take cover behind desks, Cadet La Porte instead moved to the front of the room and barricaded the door with a large, heavy desk in an attempt to defend the class. When the shooter subsequently forced his way into the classroom, Cadet La Porte, with complete disregard for his own safety, unhesitatingly charged the shooter in an aggressive attempt to stop him, drawing heavy fire at close range, and sustaining seven gunshot wounds. Cadet La Porte's actions helped save lives by slowing down the shooter and by taking fire that would have been directed at his classmates. ==References==