His long military career was recognized by the award of the Presidential Medal of Freedom on May 12, 1986 by President Ronald Reagan, who stated that: "Heroes come when they're needed; great men step forward when courage seems in short supply."
Ia pun memperoleh penghargaan bergengsi atas kariernya di bidang militer darii Presidential Medal of Freedom pada tanggal 12 Mei 1986 oleh Presiden Ronald Reagan, yang menyatakan bahwa “Pahlawan datang ketika mereka dibutuhkan, orang-orang besar melangkah ke depan ketika keberaniannya tampak”.