FORT LEWIS, Wash. -- First he saved a fellow soldier from enemy fire. Then this Army Ranger came face to face with an insurgent wearing a bomb vest.

For his actions in Iraq last April, Specialist Joe Gibson is receiving one of the nation's highest honors, the Silver Star.

The Rangers consider themselves the toughest of the tough. But they shun the spotlight.

"Specialist Joseph E Gibson distinguished himself through exceptionally heroic service on 26 April, 2008," the announcer said at his award ceremony.

And so it's uncomfortable for Gibson to go on stage. He'd rather the spotlight be on his fellow Rangers who were also being honored Friday. They are all members of the 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment.

During a helicopter infiltration, Spec. Gibson's squad came under intense enemy small arms and machine gun fire.

"The guy that got hit, he actually was a really good friend of mine and I heard him call out and it makes my heart cringe to hear that," Gibson said.

He got his wounded buddy to safety in a hail of bullets and then he actually stepped on a suicide bomber hiding in the tall grass.

"I stopped him because I thought maybe he was grabbing a knife or something to attack me with," he said. "I stopped him and that's when he told me he had a bomb on. He said 'bomb' in English. He knew how to say that.

"That pretty much at that moment I thought I was probably going to die, but I didn't care so whatever, there was nothing I could do about it so I just kept on doing what I was doing staying in control."

It was hand-to-hand combat. Gibson wrestled with the bomber and killed him before he had a chance to detonate the pack.

For those actions, he's receiving the Silver Star with his Army wife Samantha looking on.

But Gibson says what's more important than the honor is the fact that the soldier's life he saved was an expectant father.

"This guy now, he has a kid now. His wife was pregnant during all of this so that's awesome."

With Silver Star pinned on Gibson says he's ready to return to the war on terrorism.