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Medal of Valor: Officers saved lives in Boston, Wisconsin

WASHINGTON (AP) - Police officers and firefighters who helped save lives in the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombing and the shooting at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin were honored with the Medal of Valor in a White House ceremony Wednesday.

Vice President Joe Biden draped the purple and yellow striped ribbons around the necks of 20 public safety officers, and presented medals to the families of two officers killed while responding to armed robberies. The two were off-duty at the time.

"You're a rare breed," Biden said. "You're all crazy. We love you for it. We need you. You are the best thing we have going for us."

Two people were dead on the ground outside the Sikh Temple in August 2012 when Lt. Brian Murphy and Officer Savan Lenda of the Oak Creek Police Department arrived on scene.

The suspected gunman was fleeing. Murphy pulled his gun, but the suspect fired first, hitting Murphy in his throat, legs and hand. When Lenda arrived on the scene and shot the suspect, the shooter crawled out of view and killed himself.

Lenda sent fellow officers to help Murphy, but the lieutenant waved them away and insisted they help those still inside the temple. The White House said the two officers' actions helped save the lives of many.

Boston and the surrounding area were in a state of panic in April 2013 because the suspects in the marathon bombing remained at large. The fateful night when Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev carjacked a vehicle before a dramatic confrontation with police is well known.

Less well known were the contributions of seven officers and firefighters from Watertown, Massachusetts, who received the medal from Biden.

Despite heavy weapon gunfire and reports the brothers were throwing explosives, officers and firefighters who responded helped protect the lives of those in uniform, the White House said. Tamerlan died as a result of the incident; Dzhokhar was apprehended 20 hours later.

Attorney General Eric Holder said this year's medals were particularly poignant, given that the country is struggling with "deep challenges" in the relationship between law enforcement agencies and their communities.

"Beyond these honors, America owes you a debt that must be repaid not just with words but with actions," Holder said.

The Medal of Valor is the nation's highest honor for public safety officers who risk their own safety to save or protect others. This year's ceremony honored individuals who committed acts of valor between 2011 and 2013. A total of 95 medals have been handed out since Congress created the award in 2001.

Also receiving the medal:

-Five special agents from the FBI's Alabama-based hostage rescue team, who rescued a 5-year-old abducted from a school bus in 2013.

-Sgt. Daniel Hutchinson, Weber County, Utah, who was shot three times but still rescued two fellow sheriff's deputies in a shooting.

-Officer Michael Keith, Knoxville, Tennessee, who used his shirt to beat back flames from a car, then pulled a state trooper to safety just before the vehicle exploded.

-Former Fire Chief John Curly, Bellmore, New York, who broke a burning building's window with his bare hands to rescue an unconscious woman inside.

-Special Agent John Francis Capano, New York, who was killed while confronting a suspect during an attempted robbery attempt.

-Sgt. Bradley Alan Wick, Duluth, Minnesota, Police Department, who shot and killed a convicted felon after an armed robbery and car chase.

-Clifton P. Lewis, Chicago, who was off-duty when he was shot four times and killed while confronting two masked gunmen at a grocery store.

-Sgt. Michael Darrell Brown, Brevard County, Florida, who helped save a woman whose estranged boyfriend was attempting to stab her to death.

-Deputy Jenna Underwood-Nunez, Los Angeles, who was five months pregnant and off-duty when she rescued a teenager from drowning at the bottom of a muddy lake.

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Online:

Medal of Valor: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/medalofvalor

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Reach Josh Lederman on Twitter at http://twitter.com/joshledermanAP

The Medal of Valor Award is seen prior to a ceremony in the Old Executive Office Building on the White House Complex in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2015, hosted by Vice President Joe Biden. Medals are award to public safety officers who have exhibited exceptional courage, regardless of personal safety, in the attempt to save or protect others from harm. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) The Associated Press
Vice President Joe Biden and Attorney General Eric Holder, left, award the Medal of Valor to former Chief John Curley, from the Bellmore, New York Fire Department, accompanied by Rep. Peter King R-NY., right, during a ceremony in the Old Executive Office Building on the White House Complex in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2015. Medals are award to public safety officers who have exhibited exceptional courage, regardless of personal safety, in the attempt to save or protect others from harm. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) The Associated Press
Vice President Joe Biden awards John Michael Capano, son of ATF special agent John Francis Capano, the Medal of Valor during a ceremony in the Old Executive Office Building on the White House Complex in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2015. Medals are award to public safety officers who have exhibited exceptional courage, regardless of personal safety, in the attempt to save or protect others from harm. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) The Associated Press
Vice President Joe Biden, accompanied by Attorney General Eric Holder, award the Medal of Valor to Officer Andrew Keith, from the Knoxville, Tenn., Police Dept., Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2015, during a ceremony in the Old Executive Office Building on the White House Complex in Washington. Medals were awarded to public safety officers who have exhibited exceptional courage, regardless of personal safety, in the attempt to save or protect others from harm. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) The Associated Press
Vice President Joe Biden, flanked by Attorney General Eric Holder, left, and Rep. Rick Nolan, D-Minn., awards the Medal of Valor to Sgt. Bradley Wick, from the Duluth, Minnesota Police Dept.,Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2015, during a ceremony in the Old Executive Office Building on the White House Complex in Washington. Medals were awarded to public safety officers who have exhibited exceptional courage, regardless of personal safety, in the attempt to save or protect others from harm. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) The Associated Press
Attorney General Eric Holder speaks to law enforcement officers and guests before a Medal of Valor ceremony, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2015, in the Old Executive Office Building on the White House Complex in Washington. Medals are awarded to public safety officers who have exhibited exceptional courage, regardless of personal safety, in the attempt to save or protect others from harm. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) The Associated Press
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