President Obama sat down with the three American heroes who charged a gunman on a Paris-bound train in August and averted far greater bloodshed, heaping praise on the trio for their courage and quick action.
“I think all of you are familiar with the incredible story of three high school friends who were getting together, two of whom had served in uniform on behalf of the United States armed forces, thinking that they were just going to have a fun reunion in Paris and ended up engaging a potential catastrophic situation and pinning down someone who clearly was intent on doing a lot of harm to a lot of people, inflicting terror on the French people,” Obama said from the Oval Office.
Anthony Sadler, 23; Alek Skarlatos, 22, a specialist in the Oregon National Guard; and Airman First Class Spencer Stone, 23, interrupted a heavily armed 26-year-old Moroccan man as another passenger on the train tussled with him at a stop in Belgium.
The three friends from California, along with a 62-year-old British man, wrestled with the gunman and eventually subdued him until police boarded the train and took him away.
Two passengers, including Stone, were injured in the Aug. 22 attack. Authorities said the damage done from the planned attack would have been much higher had they not intervened.
“Because of their courage, because of their quick thinking, because of their teamwork … a real calamity was averted,” Obama said on Thursday. “They represent the very best of America, American heritage, and it’s these kinds of young people who make me extraordinarily optimistic about the future. I thank each and every one of them and wish them well.”
French President Francois Hollande immediately awarded them and the Briton, Chris Norman, with the Legion d’honneur, France’s highest honor.
Two other unnamed passengers were also slated to receive the award later.
“Aleksander, as soon as he’s finished on ‘Dancing with the Stars,’ plans to get into law enforcement,” Obama said of Skarlatos, who with professional dancer Lindsay Arnold made his debut on the popular ABC show on Tuesday.
“Whatever they may do, they’re going to do it well and we just wanted to say thank you to them not only for saving so many lives but also for making America look so good,” Obama said before posing for photos with the men.
