GAIL DRAKE: American hero Alwyn Cashe proven by fire

“Every man’s work will be made manifest … it will be revealed by fire.” I Corinthians 3:13

Sergeant First Class Alwyn Cashe arrived at his newest post – Forward Operating Base Mackenzie in the Salah Al Din province in Iraq. It was 2005, and the U.S. was in the throes of Operation Iraqi Freedom four years after the catastrophic terrorist strikes on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. He had just been assigned to the 15th Infantry Regiment to serve as Platoon Sergeant in Alpha Company, 3rd Infantry Division.

At 35, Cashe was a career military man. Raised in poverty, he had enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1988 following his high school graduation in Oviedo, Florida. He was deployed to Korea for several years and Germany. After infantry training, he was deployed in the 1991 Gulf War against Iraqi dictator Sadam Hussein. Cashe was later deployed to the former Yugoslavia to fight in the Kosovo Campaign, earning more medals for his service.

In 1998 Cashe trained as a drill sergeant and served two years at Fort Benning, Georgia, and later as platoon sergeant. While stateside, he married his beloved Tamara and became the proud father of three children.

Now a senior non-commissioned officer, Cashe was again deployed to Iraq. He was now part of “Task Force Liberty,” serving on the front lines.

It was early evening on Oct. 17, 2005. Cashe led a platoon on a nighttime route clearance in the city of Daliaya, a region known to harbor enemy combatants. He traveled in a NMC vehicle, then moved to the lead Bradley Fighting Vehicle and mounted to hatch position as gunner. Riding in his Bradley were eight soldiers and an Iraqi translator. The platoon pressed forward with its mission.

Suddenly a blast. The Bradley had hit and detonated an IED (improvised explosive device). The blast exploded the fuel container on the vehicle and fuel spewed everywhere. The Bradley burst into flames. Cashe climbed out of the gunner hatch, then turned to extract the driver, who was trapped in the vehicle. The driver was engulfed in flames, but Cashe and another soldier pulled him out and extinguished the flames. In the process, Cashe’s uniform got soaked with fuel and caught on fire. He extinguished those flames, then ran to the back of the vehicle. His soldiers were trapped in the troop compartment, engulfed in flames.

Enemy soldiers surrounding them began to shoot at them. While comrades returned fire, Cashe opened the hatch door and pulled his companions out of the burning vehicle, one by one. As he did so, his fuel-soaked uniform caught on fire. After four soldiers were rescued, he realized two more were missing. He entered the vehicle twice more and pulled his soldiers out to safety. Time and again, he caught on fire.

By then, reinforcements had arrived. Cashe encouraged his fellow soldiers and insisted they receive medical care. When medical evacuation helicopters arrived, Cashe refused evacuation until all the other wounded soldiers were first evacuated.

When Cashe was evacuated and later transferred to Brooke Army Medical Center in Ft. Sam Houston, Texas, it was discovered he had suffered second and third-degree burns over 72% of his body. Despite the fire and excruciating pain he endured, he had saved the lives of his six  brothers-in-arms. Cashe died of his injuries on Nov. 8, 2005, and was buried in his hometown.

His battalion commander, Gary Brito, recommended the Silver Star, which was awarded posthumously. But Brito was unaware of the extent of Cashe’s injuries as all the witnesses had been extracted. He later submitted additional evidence to upgrade the award to a Congressional Medal of Honor. On Oct. 17, 2019, on the 14th anniversary of the attack, three members of Congress formally requested the award upgrade, signed by retired Navy Seal Dan Crenshaw, former Special Forces officer Michael Waltz, and Stephanie Murphy. In September 2020, Congress had to pass a special bill that allowed recipients of Medals of Honor beyond the five-year statute of limitation. The Senate passed the legislation, which was signed by President Trump in December 2020. However, the award was not presented until December 16, 2021, to his wife Tamara.

The Congressional Medal of Honor commended Cashe “for extraordinary heroism and selflessness above and beyond the call of duty, in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service.” He displayed his gallantry by his actions in the midst of fire.

On May 11, 2019, the Ovieda, Fla., post office was named in his memory. On May 20, 2021, the ceremonial grounds at Fort Stewart were renamed “Cashe Gardens” in his honor.

On July 23, 2020, his son, Andrew Cashe, graduated from One Station Unit Training (OSUT) for infantry soldiers at Fort Moore, Georgia.

Alwyne Crendall Cashe: U.S. Army, Sergeant First Class; Silver Star, Congressional Medal of Honor: An American hero. Lest we forget.