Embassy of the United States in Manila

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U.S. Soldier’s Medal Presented to Filipino Widow The widow and children of Staff Sergeant Antonio M. Batomalaque of the Philippine Army receive The Soldier's Medal from Brigadier General Kenneth S. Dowd (right) of the U.S. Pacific Command in recognition of the sergeant's heroism while serving in a United Nations multinational peacekeeping mission in Haiti. Staff Sergeant Batomalaque died in April 2005 protecting the lives of his fellow soldiers during a firefight against Haitian criminal gangs. Among the soldiers whose lives he saved was Lieutenant Colonel Robert Casias of the United States Army, who attended The Soldier's Medal Ceremony at the U.S. Embassy on December 15. The Soldier's Medal was established by the U.S. Congress is 1926 and is the U.S. Army's highest award for non-combat heroism. Sgt. Batomalaque's widow, Merly (fourth, left) and children pose for a photo with U.S. Embassy Chargé d'Affaires Paul Jones (third, right), Gen. Kenneth Dowd of the U.S. Pacific Command (second, right) and U.S. Army Lt. Col. Robert Casias (right). Lt. Col. Casias was among those saved by Sgt. Batomalaque's heroism during an attack on a UN peacekeeping team in Haiti in April 2005. The citation presented by the U.S. Army to Mrs. Merly Batomalaque reads, in part: "Staff Sergeant Antonio M. Batomalaque's selfless heroism, valor, and devotion to duty are deserving of the Soldier's Medal, and reflect great credit upon himself and the Philippine Army." U.S. Embassy Chargé d' Affaires Paul Jones expresses to Mrs. Batomalaque his admiration for the sergeant's heroism. Among the guests at the awarding of the Soldier's Medal was Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff Gen. Generoso Senga (left), who sits beside U.S. Embassy Acting Deputy Chief of Mission Scott Bellard during the ceremony in the U.S. Embassy in Manila on December 15. Related link: Text of the Citation and Background on The Soldier's Medal.
	Last Update :: 01/05/2007
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U.S. Soldier’s Medal Presented to Filipino Widow