U.S. President George W. Bush awarded the nation’s highest military tribute to a Navy Seal who dived on a grenade to save his comrades in Iraq. Bush presented the award to the parents of the Petty Officer Second Class Michael A. Monsoor. During the ceremony, tears ran down the president’s cheeks.

“The Medal of Honor is awarded for an act of such courage that no one could rightly be expected to undertake it,” President Bush said, quoted by the New York Times. He also mentioned that those who knew Monsoor were not surprised he had made the sacrifice.

Petty Officer Monsoor managed to save two other members of the Navy Seals and three Iraqi Army troops in September 2006, when he threw himself on the grenade. “In that terrible moment,” Bush said, “he had two options — to save himself, or to save his friends. For Mike, this was no choice at all. He threw himself onto the grenade, and absorbed the blast with his body.” He died 30 minutes later.

The Navy member had already posthumously received a Bronze Star due to “his extraordinary guidance, zealous initiative and total dedication to duty” during his redisposition to Iraq from April to September 2006, and a Silver Star for saving a comrade, as he pulled him from the street to safety under enemy fire.

According to the military, nearly 3,500 Medals of Honor have been distributed. The award was created during the Civil War and a standard rule in order to be awarded the medal contains acting beyond the call of duty.

Petty Officer Monsoor, 25, joined the Navy in 2001. On Wednesday, he will be included into the Pentagon Hall of Heroes and his parents will receive a flag for Medal of Honor receivers at the Navy Memorial.