Gov. Baker Honors Soldier For Heroism After Boston Marathon Bombings
BOSTON (CBS) - There was a special honor at the State House Wednesday for a National Guard soldier turned Boston Marathon bombing hero.
The video is hard to forget; Staff Sgt. Mark Welch and two other guardsmen running towards the site of the first blast, to help rescue the victims.
Governor Charlie Baker honored Welch for his bravery. He did two tours in Iraq, and that training helped prepare Welch for what he and two other guardsmen faced on that fateful marathon Monday.
When the bombs went off, Staff Sgt. Welch, Capt. Steve Fiola, and Sgt. Bernie Madore had just finished the marathon. Then, they were confronted with the horror of wounded people. They rushed in and started tearing at the barriers to get to the injured, trying to save lives.
"I will never feel like a hero, ever," said Staff Sgt. Welch. "I get it all the time, even from my family, but it is my job. It is what I love to do, and the training I get puts me in that position to be able to help."
For the first time in the history of Massachusetts, The Soldier's Medal has been given to these three guardsmen. It's normally reserved for combat heroism.
"This is what a soldier does," said Capt. Fiola. "The difference is that it was just something that happened on our soil, so it had a bigger influence on us."
They ran to the danger, to the smell of gunpowder and the sound of screams. Now, all three have been recognized by the president and the state.
"It's an honor that we were pointed out as such, but it's actually humbling in the same thing," said Sgt. Madore. "So many people have earned this medal."
They say it's the training, but they were born with the heart to carry it out.