Retired US General Jack Keane will be awarded the Medal of Freedom for his “tireless devotion to our country,” the White House reported in a tweet on Tuesday.
Keane served as a paratrooper during the Vietnam War and was awarded the Silver Star. He went on to distinguish himself in the armed forces. In 1991 he saved the life of former General David Petraeus during a live fire exercise.Petraeus would later gain notice for leading the surge, the strategy calling on sending more US servicemen to Iraq to achieve stability in that country. Keane was one of those responsible for the shaping of this policy.
Known for his many appearances on Fox News, Keane, who is 77-years-old, said that he was “shocked and stunned” to receive the call from US President Donald Trump.
The Presidential Medal of Freedom is given by the American president to those who made a remarkable contribution to the national interests of the US but also for world peace or culture.
Other recipients of the Medal of Freedom include Miriam Adelson, Itzhak Perlman and Daniel Kahneman.