Medal of Honor Recipient Speaks at BYU

PROVO, Utah – Sep 19, 2013 – The Battle of Kamdesh in northeastern Afghanistan was more harrowing than anything you’d find in a Hollywood blockbuster — invading enemy, outnumbered troops, rapid gunfire and rampant destruction. Amidst the atrocities, though, there was also a hero — Staff Sgt. Clinton Romesha — whose actions garnered him the Medal of Honor, the military’s highest award for bravery above and beyond the call of duty.

As a special guest of the Brigham Young University Army ROTC, Romesha spoke on Sept. 5, about what he learned in combat to a campus crowd at the Varsity Theatre.

“There are 79 Medal of Honor recipients now; there aren’t a whole lot of us left,” Romesha said. “I want to make sure I get out and talk to people about the experiences I went through and to let people know we’re just regular people doing our jobs.”

During the day-long battle, however, every move Romesha made was extraordinary. Numerous times he went, unprotected, amidst enemy fire to save comrades, destroy enemy targets and recover wounded soldiers. He was even severely injured by shrapnel from a rocket-propelled grenade but continued, undeterred, leading his troops.

“Clinton will say that he was only doing his job, performing his duty and did what any soldier would have done,” said historian, retired Lt. Col. Sherman L. Fleek, who introduced Romesha. “This is very true, but with one added caveat — the opportunity may present itself but one still has to act. Clinton Romesha acted and that made all the difference.”

A Latter-day Saint and father of three, Romesha emphasized that learning and preparation must be accompanied with courage to make a difference.

“Each of you has greatness; you’ve got to know that,” Romesha said. “Are you going to let the opportunity pass by quietly or are you going to act regardless of the odds to do the right thing?”

Romesha’s remarks had a deep impact on many attendees including sophomore Dustin Belliston, from Salem, Utah, who plans to major in information systems.

“I appreciated the humility and calmness Staff Sgt. Romesha displayed,” Belliston says. “His speech deepened my appreciation for what our troops go through to preserve our freedoms.”

The Marriott School is located at Brigham Young University, the largest privately owned, church-sponsored university in the United States. The school has nationally recognized programs in accounting, business management, public management, information systems, and entrepreneurship. The school’s mission is to prepare men and women of faith, character and professional ability for positions of leadership throughout the world. Approximately 3,000 students are enrolled in the Marriott School’s graduate and undergraduate programs.