ˌɔn dᵻsˈɛmbɚ fˈɪftiːn, nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd nˈaɪnti fˈaɪv, hiː wʌz ɐwˈɔːɹdᵻd ðə pɹˌɛzɪdˈɛnʃəl sˈɪɾɪzənz mˈɛdəl, pˈoʊsthjuːməsli, baɪ pɹˈɛzɪdənt klˈɪntən fɔːɹ ɛksˈɛpʃənəl sˈɜːvɪs fɔːɹ hɪz ɹˈoʊl ɪnðə dˈaʊnfɔːl ʌvðə mˈɛŋɡɪstˌuː ɹeɪʒˈiːm ɪn ˌiːθɪˈoʊpiə ænd ðɪ ˈɛɹlɪftɪŋ ʌv mˈoːɹ ðɐn fˈɪftiːn,zˈiəɹoʊzˈiəɹoʊ zˈiəɹoʊ ˌiːθɪˈoʊpiən dʒˈuːz tʊ ˈɪzɹiːəl.
On December 15, 1995, he was awarded the Presidential Citizens Medal, posthumously, by President Clinton for Exceptional Service for his role in the downfall of the Mengistu regime in Ethiopia and the airlifting of more than 15,000 Ethiopian Jews to Israel.