A Saugus High School student received the highest honor bestowed by the Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFJROTC) for the life-saving actions he took during the Saugus High shooting.

On Monday, Saugus High student Matthew Harrison was awarded the AFJROTC Gold Valor Award for the actions he took during the Saugus High shooting that helped save the life of classmate Mia Tretta.

“He did this for me, not even knowing me,” Tretta said. “I didn’t get to thank him right away, because that wasn’t in the forefront of my mind. He did this thankless until a couple of weeks later.”

Photo by Michael Brown/KHTS News.

Officials with the AFJROTC Headquarters say that the Gold Valor Award is meant to recognize “the most outstanding voluntary acts of self-sacrifice and personal bravery by a cadet involving conspicuous risk of life above and beyond the call of duty.”

“He went over and above what anybody could have done,” said Colonel Christopher Bricker, who serves as the Senior Aerospace Science Instructor for the AFJROTC program based out of Valencia High School that Harrison is enrolled in. “He should have taken cover, and he didn’t. He saw somebody that was hurting and bleeding and he helped them really without any thought of his own safety.”

During the shooting, Harrison, who has attained the rank of Cadet Chief Master Sergeant within the AFJROTC program, found shelter within a classroom. Almost immediately after arriving, Tretta came in “severely wounded” after suffering from a gunshot wound.

“I saw Mia come stumbling in with what I identified as a bullet in her leg,” Harrison said. “We got her on the ground and we assessed her wound. I determined that direct pressure was the right act to go, so I applied direct pressure to the gunshot wound.”

Harrison maintained direct pressure on the wound for an estimated 15 minutes before first responders were able to reach the students. He did so calmly, despite the fact that the location of the shooter was unknown at the time.

“I’m a 50-year-old man, and I don’t know if I would have had that type of calm to do that,” said Saugus High Principal Vince Ferry. “Matt is a walking example of what it is to be a hero. We’re just happy he’s at Saugus High School, and we’re happy that he was able to help students and staff on that day.”

Congressman Mike Garcia, R-Santa Clarita, presented the award during the ceremony, as well as a flag that was flown over the U.S. Capitol building.

“I hope you never have to experience anything like this again,” the congressman told Harrison as he pinned the Gold Valor medal onto his uniform. “I hope you never have to be the hero again.”

Photo by Michael Brown/KHTS News.

Almost every single person who attended Monday’s ceremony said that they would call Harrison a hero for what he did on that Thursday morning in November.

“He was just a hero, he selflessly did this and then didn’t really tell anyone,” Tretta said. “He was just that amazing, and that he stepped up to the plate and (…) was really willing to take the risk that no one else was.” 

However, the one person there who did not consider Harrison a hero was Harrison himself.

“I just did what I hope anybody would do,” he said.

This humility was not lost on those in attendance, including Col. Bricker.

“I’m extremely humbled by the fact of what he did,” he said. “He did it selflessly, and he didn’t want any recognition for it. It makes me proud that he did that, and really represented himself and our program.”

After graduation, Harrison has his eyes set on the Air Force, where he hopes to become a fire protection specialist. 

“He’ll have no problem in the Air Force,” Garcia, a Navy veteran himself, said. “He obviously is a man of character, and he stays cool under fire.”

Harrison encouraged anyone who may still be struggling with the mental or emotional fallout from the shooting to “talk to someone about it.”

“You’re not alone,” he said. “That’s really the biggest thing. You’re not alone. There’s always someone to talk to.” 

Photo by Michael Brown/KHTS News.

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