President Obama awarded the nation's highest military honor to Chief Master Sgt. Richard Etchberger who was killed during the Vietnam War.

Etchberger's three sons saluted their father's duty and heroism during his Medal of Honor ceremony at the White House on Tuesday.

The airman was killed in a secret mission in Laos in 1968.

He single-handedly kept the North Vietnamese away, while he moved his unit out of danger.

He was also an electronics expert, and hadn't even been combat-trained.

"Today, your nation finally acknowledges and fully honors your father's bravery, because even though it has been 42 years, it's never too late to do the right thing. It's never too late to pay tribute to our Vietnam veterans and their families," President Obama said.

Etchberger did tell his wife, Catherine, about his secret mission, but she was sworn to secrecy, and kept that secret to her death a couple of years ago.