During a brutal, hours-long battle in Afghanistan, an Army captain paused to kiss a badly wounded comrade on the forehead as he helped load the soldier into a waiting helicopter. The soldier, Sgt. 1st Class Kenneth Westbrook, later died of his injuries.
The gripping moment, captured by a helmet camera, is a glimpse into the heroic actions of Former Army Capt. William Swenson during the infamous Sept. 8, 2009 Battle of Ganjgal in Afghanistan. The now-retired Army captain braved a barrage of enemy fire to rescue his fellow service members, and this week received the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest military award.
The battle in Afghanistan’s Kunar province claimed the lives of four American soldiers, 10 Afghan soldiers and an Afghan interpreter. Swenson, 34, of Seattle, became the sixth living receipt from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to receive the honor, and it is only the second time in a half-century that two men from the same battle have been awarded the medal. Marine Sgt. Dakota Meyer was also awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during that battle.
TIME writer Nate Rawlings discusses the extraordinary footage of Swenson braving enemy fire to lead U.S. forces through an ambush in eastern Afghanistan – and the emotional toll that comes with receiving the country’s top award for valor.