WASHINGTON – The Medal of Honor had hung around Fort Carson Capt. Florent “Flo” Groberg’s neck for just a few minutes before he went before the assembled media of the planet and disclaimed ownership of it.

Groberg limped to microphones set up in the rain outside the White House. His voice and face showed he was clearly gripped by memories of the Aug. 8, 2012 attack in Assadabad, Afghanistan. 

“This medal belongs to the true heroes,” he said in front of dozens of television cameras.

He named the men he calls heroes: Air Force Maj. Walter D. Gray, 38, of Conyers, Ga.; Army Maj. Thomas E. Kennedy, 35, of West Point, N.Y.; Army Command Sgt. Maj. Kevin J. Griffin, 45, of Laramie, Wyo. and State Department worker Ragaei Abdelfattah, 43, of Annapolis, Md.

They died the day Groberg earned the medal.

The 32-year-old captain says he’ll dedicate his life to their honor.

A few minutes earlier, President Barack Obama said that kind of dedication to friends is what makes Groberg stand out.

“He put it all on the line for his teammates,” the president said. “That’s an American we can all be grateful for.”

That a man regrets the day he earned the medal, or even disowns it, isn’t unexpected.

“Flo says that day was the worst day of his life and that’s the reality behind these Medal of Honor ceremonies,” Obama said. “On his very worst day, he summoned his very best.”

Groberg’s actions that day are credited with saving more than two dozen others.

Groberg was leading a six-man security detachment in Assadabad, where he was protecting a group of American and Afghan officers on their way to a Kunar Province security meeting. On a walk from an American encampment to the governor’s residence, the unit came under attack from a pair of suicide bombers.

Groberg spotted one and sprinted to grab him. Groberg pushed the man away from the group he was defending and took the force of the blast when the bomb went off. A second bomber, surprised by Groberg’s reaction, set his bomb off prematurely.

“Had both bombs gone off as planned, who knows how many could have been killed,” Obama said.

Groberg is the third Fort Carson soldier to travel to the White House in recent years to receive the Medal of Honor for actions in Afghanistan. He joins former Staff Sgts. Ty Carter and Clint Romesha, who each earned the Medal of Honor for the October 2009 battle at Combat Outpost Keating.

The brief White House ceremony Thursday will be followed by a Friday event at the Pentagon to induct Groberg into the Army’s Hall of Heroes.

In awarding Groberg the medal, Obama marveled at how each step in the captain’s life prepared him for the attack he faced in Afghanistan.

Born in France, Groberg moved to the U.S. as an 11-year-old. He learned English and made his mark on the track, where he starred in distance events and relay races.

“Distance running is really about guts,” Obama said of Groberg, who ran college races for the University of Maryland.

Obama described how Groberg labored on the track to cut fractions of time in races.

“As he would find out later, a few seconds can make all the difference,” Obama said.

After college, Groberg worked for a high-tech firm for two years, but felt drawn to the Army. He went to Officer Candidate School and was assigned to Fort Carson’s 4th Brigade Combat Team.

Obama said hard work got Groberg noticed and placed in command of the security team..

And when the bombers struck, Groberg was ready.

“All of it came together,” Obama said. “He had the instincts and courage he needed.”

The blast left Groberg with a severely injured left leg. The celebrated runner has gone through 33 surgeries to gain the ability to limp without crutches.

“He’s not running,” Obama said. “But he is doing a lot of cross-fit.”

Outside, after disowning his medal, Groberg added to the list of those who should possess it.

The blast that killed four left four families in mourning.

“They are true heroes who live with that day every day,” he said.

–

Contact Tom Roeder: 636-0240

Twitter: @xroederx