GREENEVILLE, Tenn. (WJHL) – A Tri-Cities veteran was posthumously awarded one of our nation’s highest awards on Saturday.

Sergeant First Class Jeremiah Johnson was awarded the Bronze Star for his heroism while serving our country abroad.

The Bronze Star Medal is the fourth highest decoration for valor.

Johnson enlisted into active duty for the U.S. Army in 2008 eventually earning his way to the 3rd Special Forces Group.

He was one of four U.S. soldiers killed in an ambush in Niger in October 2017.

U.S. officials believe extremists linked to ISIS were responsible for that attack.

Johnson grew up in Washington and Greene counties.

His father JW shared his son’s story for the first time with the Tri-Cities community for the first time last Memorial Day.

Family members say Saturday’s recognition by our community is a very special moment for the entire family.

“It’s a difficult, but it’s difficult in the sense that it’s been a very long period of time since Jeremiah’s death. I think it accomplishes the end of a lot of chapters. we really feel and understand and what he did and how he lived and how he died,” Jeremiah’s father JW said.

Johnson was posthumously promoted to Sergeant First Class.

He is survived by his wife Crystal and his two daughters.