MY NEXT GUEST RECEIVED A MEDAL OF HONOR FROM PRESIDENT OBAMA

MONDAY.

PLEASE WELCOME NAVY SENIOR CHIEF AND NAVY SEAL EDWARD BYERS.

(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE) ♪

THANKS FOR BEING HERE.

IT'S AN HONOR TO HAVE YOU.

>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME.

>> Stephen: YOU ARE SPECIFICALLY TITLED SENIOR CHIEF

SPECIAL WARFARE OPERATOR.

THAT IS A REALLY ALL-ENCOMPASSING TITLE, A

WARFARE OPERATOR.

WHAT DO YOU OPERATE?

I OPERATE WARFARE.

WHAT DOES THAT TRAINING INCLUDE?

WHAT ARE ALL THE THINGS YOU'RE TRAINED TO DO?

>> WELL, IF WE WERE TO SIT HERE AND TALK ABOUT IT, I THINK YOU

WOULD RUN OUT OF TIME.

>> Stephen: OH, REALLY?

THE FIRST IS BASIC UNDERWATER SEAL TRAINING, THEN SEAL

QUALIFICATION TRAINING AFTER THAT FOR SIX MONTHS JUST TO GET

YOUR FOOT IN THE DOOR.

>> Stephen: WHEN DID YOU FIND OUT YOU WOULD BE RECEIVING THE

MEDAL OF HONOR?

>> I FOUND OUT IN DECEMBER.

>> Stephen: HOW DO YOU FIND OUT?

>> IT'S A REALLY INTRIGUING PROCESS.

THE WHITE HOUSE CALLS YOU, SOMEBODY ON HIS STAFF, AND THEY

SAY, HEY, THE PRESIDENT WANTS TO TALK TO YOU NEXT WEEK AT THIS

DATE AND TIME.

ARE YOU AVAILABLE?

AND MY FIRST REACTION WAS DOES ANYONE ACTUALLY SAY NO TO THIS?

LET ME CHECK MY SCHEDULE.

>> Stephen: DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT THE PHONE CALL IS

ABOUT?

>> I DID.

I WAS AWARE HE WAS GOING TO GIVE A CALL BUT IT'S NOT TILL THE

PRESIDENT CALLS YOU THAT IT BECOMES OFFICIAL.

>> Stephen: THERE ARE SOME ASPECTS OF THE ENGAGEMENT FOR

WHICH YOU WERE AWARDED THE MEDAL OF HONOR ARE CLASSIFIED AND YOU

CAN'T TALK ABOUT IT.

WALK US THROUGH WHAT HAPPENED THAT DAY AND TRY NOT TO BREACH

NATIONAL SECURITY WHEN YOU DO SO.

>> I'LL DO MY BEST.

>> Stephen: OKAY.

DECEMBER 2012, WE RECEIVED OUR MISSION, A NO-FAIL MISSION,

AND OUR GOAL WAS TO BRING BACK AN AMERICAN HOSTAGE.

>> Stephen: AFGHANISTAN?

EASTERN AFGHANISTAN.

SO WE INSERTED BY HELECOPTERRER IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT.

HAD A FOUR OR FIVE HOUR WALK THROUGH MOUNTAINS AND GOT TO THE

TARGET BUILDING AND ASSESSED.

>> Stephen: HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT'S YOUR TARGET BUILDING?

I ASSUME A LOT LOOK ALIKE.

>> THEY DO, BUT OUR NATION'S MILITARY HAS CLEVER WAYS OF

FIGURING THAT OUT.

>> Stephen: OKAY.

I'LL ACCEPT THAT.

MOVE ON.

>> SO AS WE APPROACH THE BUILDING, OUR POINT MAN UND

TEAMMATE NICK WAS UP FRONT.

A GUARD CAME OUT OF ONE OF THE DOORS.

HE IMMEDIATELY ENGAGED THE GUARD AND WE STARTED SPRINTING TOWARD

THE DOOR.

IT'S NOT YOUR TYPICAL DOOR.

IT WAS A LAYER OF BLANKETS.

AS NICK STARTED TO MOVE IN THROUGH THE BLANKETS, I MOVED IN

BEHIND HIM.

AS I WENT TO MY AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY, AN ENEMY ON THE

BACK WALL HAD HIS AK READY TO SHOOT AND EENGAGED HIM AND SAW

ANOTHER PERSON MOVING ACROSS THE FLOOR.

AT THAT TIME YOU DON'T KNOW IF THAT WAS THE AMERICAN HOSTAGE

JUST SCARED, TRYING TO MOVE -- >> Stephen: WHAT TIME OF DAY

IS THIS?

>> MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT.

>> Stephen: IS IT DARK, A LIGHT ON INSIDE?

>> IT WAS BITCH BLACK.

THE AVERAGE AFGHAN HOUSE HAS ONE LIGHT BULB.

I DON'T THINK THIS ONE HAD ANY LIGHT BULBS.

WE HAVE NIGHT VISION, SO THAT GIVES US THE ADVANTAGE TO SEE.

I SAW A PERSON MOVE ACROSS THE FLOOR.

HE WAS MOVING TOWARD WEAPONS.

I GOT TO HIM AND STRADDLED HIM AND PINNED HIM DOWN WITH MY

LEGS.

>> Stephen: AT THIS POINT, DO YOU KNOW IF THIS IS THE HOSTAGE

OR SOMEONE HOSTILE.

>> I DIDN'T KNOW.

I WAS TRYING TO CONTROL HIM AND ADJUSTING MY NIGHT VISION SO I

COULD GET FACIAL RECOGNITION.

SIMULTANEOUSLY, WE'RE CALLING OUT, AMERICAN HOSTAGE, TRYING TO

GET SOMEBODY TO RESPONDTHA BACK.

HE FINALLY DID RESPOND BACK, ABOUT FIVE FEET AWAY TO ME TO MY

RIGHT.

I ENGAGED THE PERSON I WAS ON TOP OF AND JUMPED OFF HIM AND ON

TO THE AMERICAN HOSTAGE.

YOU WANT TO DO THAT BECAUSE OUR GOAL IS TO BRING THIS GUY BACK

ALIVE AND WE'RE WEARING BODY ARMOR SO WE ACCEPT THAT RISK AND

WANT TO PROTECT HIM.

WHEN THAT HAPPENED, THERE WAS ANOTHER ENEMY THAT WAS TO MY

LEFT WITHIN ARM'S REACH, FORTUNATELY, AND I WAS ABLE TO

PIN HIM AGAINST THE WALL BY HIS THROAT TILL MY TEAMMATES WERE

ABLE TO COME IN AND TAKE CARE OF THAT.

>> Stephen: SO YOU HAVE YOUR BODY ON TOP OF THE HOSTAGE TO

PROTECT HIM WHILE PINNING SOMEBODY AGAINST THE WALL WITH

YOUR HAND, AFTER ENGAGING THE ENEMY PREVIOUSLY TO THAT?

>> THAT'S CORRECT (APPLAUSE)

>> Stephen: NOW, CAN YOU TELL US -- WITHOUT GIVING A SPECIFIC

AMOUNT OF TIME -- IS THIS SEEMING LIKE IT'S HAPPENING FAST

TO YOU?

OR IS IT ALL HAPPENING IN SLOW MOTION FOR YOU?

>> THAT IS A UNIQUE THING ABOUT OUR TRAINING IS WE REHEARSE SO

MUCH THAT IT IS VERY INSTINCT CHIEWL.

SO WHILE THE WHOLE SCENARIO HAPPENED WITHIN A MINUTE, MINUTE

AND A HALF, IN YOUR MIND IT'S VERY SEGMENTED.

YOU TAKE ONE SITUATION, HANDLE IT AND MOVE ON TO THE NEXT.

SO IT SLOWS DOWN.

IT'S KIND OF LIKE TIME SLOWS DOWN.

>> Stephen: NOW I KNOW THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT YOU CAN'T

TALK ABOUT THE RAID TO GET THE HOSTAGE, BUT ONE THING I KNOW

YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT THAT'S IMPORTANT IS TO TALK ABOUT YOUR

FELLOW NAVY SEAL, AND THIS IS NICK CHECK, RIGHT?

>> YES, AND NICK CHECK WAS A TRUE AMERICAN HERO, AND HE'S THE

HERO OF THAT OPERATION.

HE GAVE HIS LIFE TO BRING BACK ANOTHER AMERICAN AND, FRANKLY,

THAT'S WHAT WE DO.

(APPLAUSE) >> Stephen: HE DID NOT SURVIVE

THE ENGAGEMENT?

>> HE DID NOT.

>> Stephen: AND HERE YOU ARE RECEIVING THE MEDAL OF HONOR

FROM PRESIDENT OBAMA ON MONDAY, AND FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE

YOU KNOW,, PEOPLE WILL BE CALLING YOU A HERO.

HOW DO YOU FEEL?

I KNOW SOME PEOPLE IN THE MILITARY DON'T LIKE THAT TITLE.

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THAT?

>> THAT'S NOT A TITLE I WOULD GIVE MYSELF.

I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING OTHER PEOPLE BESTOW UPON YOU, AND THE

PEOPLE I REALLY CONSIDER HEROS ARE THE BROTHERS I WORK WITH.

THESE MEN ARE, YOU KNOW, THE TOUGHEST MEN ON THE FACE OF THE

PLANET.

THEIR MENTALITY OF NEVER QUIT, NEVER FAIL AT ANYTHING THEY DO

IS TRULY REMARKABLE AND, YOU KNOW, IF IT WASN'T FOR THEM, I

WOULDN'T BE SITTING HERE TODAY.

THEY SAVED MY LIFE COUNTLESS TIMES.

>> Stephen: I UNDERSTAND THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE YOU WANT TO GIVE

A SHOUT OUT TO BEFORE WE GO.

>> THERE IS.

SO MY NEIGHBORS BOB AND GIGI, THEY LOVE YOUR SHOW, AND THEY'VE

RECORDED EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOUR SHOWS, SO I HAVE TO SAY

CONGRATULATIONS.

I HEARD YOU JUST HAD YOUR 100th EPISODE HERE.

>> Stephen: WE DID.

HEY, BOB AND GIGI!

(APPLAUSE) WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR

BEING HERE AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TO OUR COUNTRY.

IF YOU GO BACK OUT, PLEASE STAY SAFE AND WE'RE HONORED TO HAVE

YOU.

MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENT EDWARD BYERS, EVERYBODY!

(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE) WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK!