Three soldiers received the service’s highest honor for peacetime valor Nov. 4, for rescuing a distressed boater on the Black River in New York State last April. According to official records, the three soldiers – Spc. Christopher Grant, PFC Matthew M. Phillips, and Pvt. Trenton M. Brown, came to the aid of a civilian couple who cried for help when their canoe had capsized in frigid and rapidly moving water. The three soldiers were stationed at nearby Fort Drum, N.Y., at the time. Grant is a paralegal specialist assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 10th Combat Aviation Brigade. Brown is a hydraulic repair specialist, assigned to B Company, 277th Aviation Support Battalion, 10th Combat Aviation Brigade. Phillips, then a cavalry scout assigned to 3rd Squadron, 71st Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, has since been transferred to Fort Riley, Kan. Grant and Brown had been fishing on the bank of the river with their families when they heard the couple’s cries for help. They grabbed a 100-foot rope and a heavy stick, and attempted to cast it to within the couple’s reach. Phillips, a trained lifeguard, arrived on the scene and swam with the rope out to the woman. The three were able to secure her and pull her to safety. They were not able to help the man, who subsequently drowned. His body was recovered several days later. It was clear to the three soldiers that the victim died trying to push his companion to safety. “If I could have gotten to the man, I would have,” said Phillips. “But I just couldn’t get to him. He gave his life to save her. That’s the hardest part,” he said.