Marine killed in Afghanistan awarded Bronze Star

SAN DIEGO (KABC) -- A Bronze Star medal ceremony was held Monday at Camp Pendleton for a 23-year-old Marine who was killed in combat in Afghanistan.

Lance Cpl. Steven P. Stevens was guiding his squad through enemy territory when he was killed by gunfire in June 2012. Despite the heavy fire, Stevens used his metal detector to clear a path for a medical evacuation for a wounded Marine, according to ABC affiliate station KGTV.

His wife, Monique, accepted the medal along with their 2-year-old son, Kairo, whom Stevens never had the chance to meet.

"Even though he never got to meet him, he'll be able to hold his head high knowing his father was a hero," Monique Stevens said.

The Bronze Star is awarded for acts of heroism performed in combat. In Stevens' case, it was for his uncommon courage and selflessness.