Fifty-one-year-old Sorbonne professor, Armenian-American Mark Moogalian, who was identified by the UK’s the Telegraph daily as the first passenger to tackle gunman Ayoub El-Khazzani on Aug. 21 aboard an Amsterdam-Paris train, was awarded the Legion d’Honneur, France’s highest honor for bravery by French President Francois Hollande at the Élysée Palace on Sun., Sept. 13.
Moogalian was awarded the Legion d’Honneur, France’s highest honor for bravery by French President Francois Hollande at the Élysée Palace
During the high-speed train ride, Moogalian tackled El-Khazzani, who was armed with an AK-47 assault rifle. It is reported that he instinctively acted to protect his wife Isabella Risacher, and managed to take the assault rifle away from El-Khazzani. The assailant drew another gun and shot Moogalian in the neck, revealed the professor’s sister, who was also on the train.
Moogalian’s heroism, along with the actions of Americans Alek Skarlatos, Spencer Stone, and Anthony Sadler, and Briton Chris Norman, helped save many lives. Skarlatos, Stone, Sadler, and Norman were awarded the Legion d’Honneur, soon after the attack. Hollande had announced that he would award Moogalian the Legion d’Honneur once he had recuperated.
Source: Armenian Weekly
Link: Mark Moogalian Awarded French Legion of Honor