3 Parkland Shooting Victims Awarded Army Medal Of Heroism

Peter Wang died while saving his classmates during the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School last week. In death, the 15-year-old has been honored for his heroism and posthumously admitted into the prestigious West Point, which was his aspiration.

West Point announced in a rare move that Wang has been posthumously admitted to the Class of 2025, citing the teen’s “lifetime goal.”

“West Point has given posthumous offers of admissions in very rare instances for those candidates or potential candidate’s whose actions exemplified the tenets of Duty, Honor and Country,” the academy said in a statement.

In addition, he and two other classmates were awarded for their bravery.

Wang was buried with a Medal of Heroism pinned to the chest of his Junior ROTC uniform, US Army Cadet Command spokesman Michael Maddox said, according to the Miami Herald. He died holding a door open, which allowed many of his classmates to escape.

Two other Junior ROTC students were also given Army Medals of Heroism: Alaina Petty, 14, and Martin Duque, 14. Both were only freshmen.
A Department of the Army website describes the medals given to the three as “a US military decoration awarded by the Department of the Army to a JROTC cadet who performs an act of heroism. The achievement must be an accomplishment so exceptional and outstanding that it clearly sets the individual apart from fellow students or from other persons in similar circumstances. The performance must have involved the acceptance of danger and extraordinary responsibilities, exemplifying praiseworthy fortitude and courage.”

“For as long as we remember him, he is a hero,” said classmate Jared Burns of Wang.

[Photo: Twitter]