Maj. Gen. Torrence Saxe, adjutant general of the Alaska National Guard and commissioner of the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, pins the Alaska Heroism Medal on Cpl. Bruce Boolowon, the only surviving member of the June 22, 1955, rescue team March 28, 2023, in Gambell, Alaska. The Alaska Heroism Medal is the state’s highest award for valor during peacetime.