The Hill News

President Obama on Tuesday will award the Medal of Honor to an Air Force sergeant who died in Laos in 1968.

Obama will bestow the rare honor to Richard Etchberger for "immeasurable courage and uncommon valor," the White House said this week.

Etchberger, an Air Force Master Sergeant, will receive the Medal of Honor for "deliberately exposing himself to enemy fire in order to place his three surviving wounded comrades in the rescue slings permitting them to be airlifted to safety. As he was finally being rescued, he was fatally wounded by enemy ground fire," the White House said.

Etchberger's sons will join Obama in the East Room of the White House to commemorate their father's service and sacrifice.

Most Medals of Honor are awarded posthumously for acts of gallantry that went above and beyond the call of duty. The meritorious conduct must involve great personal bravery or self-sacrifice so conspicuous as to clearly distinguish the individual above his or her comrades and must have involved risk of life.

There must be incontestable proof of the performance of the meritorious conduct, and each recommendation for the award must be considered on the standard of extraordinary merit, officials said.