The U.S. Navy will present its highest honor to the California family of a Marine who was killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan after helping his fellow Marines get out of harm's way.
Navy Secretary Ray Mabus will give the Navy Cross to the family of Lance Cpl. Donald Hogan during a ceremony at Camp Pendleton.
Lance Cpl. Hogan, 20, of San Clemente, was killed in the Helmand province of Afghanistan in 2009 when a roadside bomb went off, injuring several other Marines as well.
"If he was given the decision of saving someone he would do it 120 percent ... that's just who Donald was that's how we were raised make sure everyone is okay," said his sister Adrianna Hogan.
Hogan was on his first deployment as a member of the 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force.
Hogan joined the Marines in November 2007 and had been awarded the Combat Action Ribbon, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and the National Defense Service Medal.
