The CH-53 Super Stallion crashed Feb. 6, 2024, during a night flight when it hit a mountain near Pine Valley, California, killing all five Marines aboard.
The boatswain’s mate, who grew up in Egypt, was awarded for his gutsy role in responding to a pirate attack on a commercial tanker in the Gulf of Aden.
The ADSB safety system has become a flashpoint as some have pointed to its likely lack of use by the helicopter as a potential cause of the Jan. 29 crash.