Tomorrow is Veterans Day and a Civil War artillery officer was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Obama last Thursday, 151 years after he was killed during the Battle of Gettysburg.

The posthumous honor went to Alonzo Cushing, a native of Delafield, Wisconsin. When presenting the award at the ceremony, attended by more than 25 of Cushing's relatives, President Obama said, "it is a reminder that no matter how long it takes, it is never too late to do the right thing."

Cushing was only 22-years-old when he was killed during a Confederate assault in which his six-gun battery was hit hard by rebel artillery. Although he was wounded in his right shoulder and the abdomen, Cushing refused to leave his post, telling his fellow soldiers "he'd fight it out or die in the attempt," President Obama said. Crushing was eventually shot and killed by advancing Confederate forces but not before he was able to halt the attack.

The honor came only after Congress made an exemption so Cushing could be honored after years of research by his supporters. Usually, recommendations have to be made within two years of the heroic act with the medal presentation occurring within three.

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