President Obama surprised Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates on Thursday with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, paying tribute to his four decades of public service at a regal farewell ceremony outside the Pentagon. The honor came on Gates’s last day as defense secretary after 41 / 2 years in the job. The citation for the medal — the highest civilian honor the commander in chief can bestow — said that Gates has “selflessly dedicated his life to ensuring the security of the American people.” The secretary appeared humbled and genuinely surprised by the honor. Read full article >>