Three Marines received upgraded valor awards at a Pentagon ceremony Wednesday for their actions during the 2017 Abbey Gate bombing in Kabul. Lance Cpl. Jordan Houston and Gunnery Sgt. Jonathan Eby earned Bronze Star Medals with “V” devices, while Cpl. Michael Gretzon received the Navy & Marine Corps Commendation Medal with “V” device.
The awards recognize their conduct during a suicide attack that killed 13 U.S. service members and roughly 170 Afghans. All three served in the 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines, which arrived in Kabul on August 14, 2021, to secure the airport during the evacuation of American citizens and Afghan allies. Commandant Eric Smith described how shrapnel from the blast triggered tear gas canisters, complicating the chaotic scene.
Houston, knocked unconscious by the blast, regained consciousness and continued treating wounded Marines while concealing his own injuries to remain in the fight. Gretzon applied a tourniquet to his own arm and stayed at his post until ordered to seek care. Eby, who was running refugee screening, immediately reestablished security and directed casualty evacuations despite his own injuries.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth noted a Pentagon review of the Afghanistan withdrawal will deliver a full report by the end of 2026.
