Charlotte’s Medal of Honor Recipient Sgt. Kyle J. White
CHARLOTTE,NC–A Charlotte man is being awarded one of the military’s highest accolades, the Medal of Honor, for his courageous acts in Afghanistan.
On the morning of November 9th 2007, Sergeant Kyle J. White woke up in Afghanistan not knowing that later that afternoon he would encounter an ambush that would change his life.
On that Friday, in Aranas Afghanistan, Sgt. White, along with his team were ambushed during their 10-20 minute trek up a mountain to a command outpost named ‘Bella’.
The enemy attack came quickly after small arms fire echoed through the ridgelines. While carrying a M4A1 rifle, White started returning fire emptying two 30-round magazines just before an enemy RPG detonated near his location knocking him unconscious.
Just as White awoke, an enemy round fragmented near his head sending shrapnel into his face.
The enemy attack separated Spc. Kain Schilling, Sgt. White, 1st Lt. Mathew C. Ferrara and Sgt Phillip A. Bocks from the rest of the patrol who had been forced to slide down a cliff to the ground 50 meters below.
After realizing that Bocks was badly wounded, White dragged the Sgt. to cover, but later died from his wounds.
No sooner did White witness one of his most vivid memories of Spc. Schilling being shot with a second round in the leg.
After applying a tourniquet to Schilling’s leg, White noticed Lt. Ferrara lying face down on the trail, once again White put himself in the line of fire only to realize his platoon leader was dead.
During the ambush White and Schilling’s radios were damaged so Sgt. White moved back to Bocks, whose radio was still operational.
As the only Paratrooper capable of controlling his fighting position, White provided key information that enabled his company and battalion to understand the enemy and friendly situation well enough to begin bringing air support, artillery and mortars into the fight, preventing the enemy from massing on friendly positions.
On May 13, 2014, President Barack Obama will award Sergeant Kyle J. White with the Medal of Honor for conspicuous gallantry for his courageous actions during combat operations against an armed enemy in Nuristan Province, Afghanistan.
