Obama honors Medal of Freedom recipients

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White House stands by Medal of Honor award

Bill O'Leary/WASHINGTON POST - President Obama awards the Medal of Honor to Dakota Meyer, left, the first Marine to be so honored for actions in Aghanistan, at White House ceremony, on September, 15, 2011 in Washington, DC.

By David Nakamura, AP

The White House on Thursday stood by the decision of the Department of Defense to award the Medal of Honor to Sgt. Dakota Meyer despite a report that the Marine Corps embellished some of Meyer’s actions in presenting his story to the public.

White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said the narrative of events that Obama read into the public record while awarding the military’s highest honor to Meyer on Sept. 14 was based on documents provided by the Marine Corps that received “quite extensive” vetting.

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From the Osama bin Laden mission to senior leadership changes in the Department of Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff, 2011 has been a dynamic year for military leaders.

“The president remains very proud of Sgt. Meyer and the remarkable acts of bravery he displayed on that day,” Carney said.

McClatchy Newspapers reported Thursday that portions of the events described by Obama about Meyer’s actions while serving in Afghanistan were “untrue, unsubstantiated or exaggerated.”

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