WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. President Joe Biden bestowed the highest honor possible to award to a U.S. military veteran, the Congressional Medal of Honor. Then he abruptly walked off the stage to the shock of everyone in the room, including the Vietnam War veteran he was honoring.
He essentially left the bride at the altar.
Biden awarded the Medal of Honor to Army Capt. Larry L. Taylor for his exceptional bravery during the Vietnam War, praising Taylor’s unyielding commitment to his fellow soldiers.
On the night of June 18, 1968, near the hamlet of Ap Go Cong in South Vietnam, then-Army 1st Lt. Taylor was piloting an AH1-G Cobra attack helicopter. During his flight, he received a desperate radio call for help.
President Biden highlighted Taylor’s refusal to abandon his fellow Americans, stating that Taylor prioritized the lives of others over his own safety. Further details about Taylor’s specific acts during the war were not disclosed in the announcement.
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration that can be awarded in the United States and is given for acts of valor above and beyond the call of duty. This prestigious award recognizes Taylor’s extraordinary courage and commitment to his unit and his country.
The White House, through Karine Jean-Pierre said the President was supposed to leave right after issuing his remarks after his wife Jill tested positive for COVID-19. Biden started the ceremony masked up. He took the mask off and left the stage abruptly after his speech.
Jean-Pierre said the following:
The President took off his mask, as I said he would, to deliver incredibly powerful remarks about this captain — Captain Taylor — and what he did in service to our — our nation. And he wanted to honor the captain. And for a brief time afterwards, he also didn’t have his mask on, as you just laid out. And he left, as planned — as it was planned, he left when there was a pause in the program in order to minimize — to minimize his close contact with attendees who were — who were about to participate in a reception. And I — you all reported that, noticed that he left when there was a pause in the program, because, again, he wanted to minimize, certainly, his impact on folks who were there.