fb-pixelIraq War vet receives honor for ‘selfless service’ during Marathon bombings - The Boston Globe Skip to main content

Iraq War vet receives honor for ‘selfless service’ during Marathon bombings

Governor Charlie Baker pinned the medal on Staff Sergeant Mark Welch on Wednesday at the State House.Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff

After walking the length of the 2013 Boston Marathon with 40 pounds of military gear on his back, Staff Sergeant Mark Welch had earned the right to relax.

Painful blisters had left the Iraq War veteran in what he described as the worst pain he had felt in a long time. So, unable to move, he sat near the Marathon’s finish line.

That did not last.

Military officials said Welch exemplified “courage and selfless service” as bombs exploded in downtown Boston that day, providing support for emergency personnel and injured bombing victims.

On Wednesday, flanked by his visibly giddy wife and children at a State House ceremony, Welch received the Soldier’s Medal of the United States Army for his efforts.

Advertisement



The Soldier’s Medal is awarded for heroic actions in noncombat situations.

“[Welch] rushed to the area despite the risk that more explosives were imminent,” a military officialsaid. “His actions, in the face of danger . . . have brought great credit upon himself . . . the Massachusetts Army National Guard, and the United States Army.”

Welch is a 13-year veteran of the Massachusetts Army National Guard. He said his military training helped him prepare for the intensity of that day.

“You can never say you’re prepared for it, but in your head, you go through situations like that,” Welch said in an interview. “I knew what I needed to do to help.”

He specifically remembers helping a man and a woman badly injured in the explosions. The man was on fire, and Welch helped remove singed clothing and alert medical teams. The woman had a deep cut on her forehead.

“She was bleeding everywhere. I just put my hand over the cut and helped her get medical aid,” he said. “Everything after that was a blur.”

In April, First Lieutenant Steve Fiola and First Sergeant Bernard Madore of the Massachusetts Army National Guard were also awarded Soldier’s Medals. The men, along with Welch, helped to clear barricades for emergency workers, shuffle injured victims to medical staff, and evacuate the area, Welch said.

Advertisement



“I felt no pain once the bombs went off,” he said, referring to the painful blisters that once left him immobile. “It’s amazing how your body works.”

According to military officials, Welch, Fiola, and Madore are the first soldiers from Massachusetts to receive the award.

Major General L. Scott Rice of the Massachusetts Army National Guard said his office began the award application process in 2013, but since soldiers from the Commonwealth had never received the Soldier’s Medal, applicants were under “intense scrutiny.”

To complete the award process, it takes action from the secretary of the Army, Congress, and the president, officials said.

“These tragic events . . . peel back the layer to basic human emotion and reaction,” Rice said. “. . . and we find heroes in our midst, who are common people, who without thought, step forward to do the right thing,”

Before the ceremony, Baker high-fived Welch’s two children, ages 3 and 7, and said they should be proud of their father.

“April 15 was a tragic day for the people of Boston . . . but there were also tremendous acts of courage and heroism throughout the course of that day and days following,” Baker said. “On behalf of the people of Massachusetts . . . congratulations!”

Welch said the medal is likely more special to his wife, Heather, and their children, than it is to him.

Advertisement



“They kept saying they were proud of me, but I don’t really feel the same way that they do. . . . It’s my job.”

Welch said he was nervous during Wednesday’s ceremony, which was attended by journalists and several high-ranking military officers. “I thought it was only going to be a couple people,” he said, laughing.

In a ceremony to honor his bravery, he suddenly felt overwhelmed.


Astead W. Herndon can be reached at astead.herndon@globe.com.