Daniel Penny, a former Marine who made headlines last year, was recognized with the Semper Fidelis achievement award by the Marine Corps League during an Iwo Jima Day event in Boston.

The honor was bestowed upon Penny for his selfless service, a characteristic deeply ingrained in the Marine Corps ethos, as reported by The New York Post.

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Penny, who was cleared of criminally negligent homicide charges in the May 2023 subway incident involving Jordan Neely in New York City, attended the ceremony alongside his defense attorneys, Thomas Kenniff and Steve Raiser.

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Both attorneys were also acknowledged with appreciation plaques for their role in securing Penny’s legal victory.

The Marine Corps League commended Penny for embodying the Esprit De Corps, citing his courage in defending fellow passengers on that fateful subway ride.

“Danny risked his life to protect innocent people, and we stood by him against a prosecution that should never have happened,” Raiser stated in an email.

“It was an honor to stand in the same room as veterans who fought in previous wars, including an Iwo Jima veteran and a retired general from the Tuskegee Airmen.”

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The Semper Fidelis award, given to individuals who serve as an inspiration to others, was formally extended to Penny and his attorneys by Marine Corps League’s John M. MacGillivray.

“We believe Daniel Penny and attorneys Raiser and Kenniff deserve such recognition and hope that they will consent to accept these awards,” MacGillivray wrote in a letter before the event.

The trio gladly accepted and were seen smiling, awards in hand, at the Massachusetts State House ceremony.

This year’s event, possibly the last of its kind, commemorated the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Iwo Jima.

The grueling five-week conflict in 1945 claimed the lives of 7,000 Marines and left 20,000 wounded, yet it marked a pivotal moment in the Pacific Theater, bringing American forces closer to victory in World War II.

With time inevitably thinning the ranks of those who fought in the historic battle, only one veteran from Iwo Jima attended the anniversary: 99-year-old Joe Cappuccio.

“This may well be the last time that we conduct this ceremony.”

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During the ceremony, Marine Corps Commandant and four-star Gen. Eric Smith personally acknowledged Penny.

But one of the most unforgettable moments came afterward when retired Brigadier General Enoch “Woody” Woodhouse of the legendary Tuskegee Airmen took Penny’s hand, locked eyes with him, and said, “I’m proud of you, son.”

“That’s a moment I don’t think any of us will forget,” Kenniff remarked.

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