WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama on Thursday recognized the heroism of a Union Army officer who was killed during the Battle of Gettysburg, an honor that was more than 150 years in the making.
Obama said he was mindful that he may not be president today if it weren’t for the bravery of First Lt. Alonzo H. Cushing and his fellow troops as he awarded First Lt. Alonzo H. Cushing a posthumous Medal of Honor.
“This medal is a reminder that, no matter how long it takes, it’s never too late to do the right thing,” Obama told about 60 descendants and supporters of the 22-year-old Wisconsin native during a brief ceremony in a windowless White House meeting room.
Helen Loring Ensign, of Palm Desert, California, who is Cushing’s cousin two times removed, accepted the framed medal in his honor. Cushing was killed in July 1863 during the three-day battle near the Pennsylvania town, a fight often described as a turning point of the Civil War.