A Heroism Medal Awarded at the Naval Academy

The Navy and Marine Corps Medal for Heroism

 Awarded to Jonathan Dennler for heroic actions while leading a Scout troop.

Click here to see the article that appeared in a Department of Defense newsletter on January 11, 2017

Dennler's Scout troop was camping in Ontario, Canada, when a major storm hit them with lightning strikes and winds gusting up to 80 MPH. Two trees fell on the campsite, killing a Scout and an adult volunteer and severely injuring others.

Dennler, currently a midshipman at the Naval Academy, got into a canoe and paddled a mile and a half through strong winds in order to get help from a ranger station. Later his mom said, "He was the only one who knew what to do back in high school when a classmate broke their leg at a basketball game, because he was an Eagle Scout."

In the article, it says that the medal Demmler received falls in order of precedence just below the Distinguished Flying Cross and above the Bronze Star. The very first one to be awarded went to President Kennedy while he was a lieutenant serving in the Navy during WW II.