Posted: 5.25 pm EDT
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Via France 24:

The three Americans, Spencer Stone, Alek Skarlatos and Anthony Sadler who overpowered a heavily-armed gunman in a train, and have been hailed as “heroes” had a press conference at the U.S. ambassador’s residence in Paris over the weekend.

The alleged attacker, 25-year-old Moroccan national Ayoub El Khazzani, boarded a high-speed train in Brussels bound for Paris on Friday carrying a Kalashnikov rifle, an automatic pistol, ammunition and a box-cutter.

“The gunman would have been successful if my friend Spencer had not gotten up. I want that lesson to be learned. In times of terror like that to please do something. Don’t just stand by and watch.”

Don’t ever ‘stand by’, US ‘heroes’ plead after train attack http://t.co/Le6Bvs75d9 pic.twitter.com/W2FqxaM7AF

— FRANCE 24 (@FRANCE24) August 23, 2015

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U.S. Ambassador to France Jane Hartley calls the three men who thwarted train attack “heroes” http://t.co/NoA6gfnQEI pic.twitter.com/bF5F2djK29

— CNN (@CNN) August 23, 2015

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“It is clear their quick and heroic actions prevented a far worse tragedy.” @USAmbFrance http://t.co/zi3Tyv7H7t pic.twitter.com/d5F33UJeSd

— U.S. Embassy London (@USAinUK) August 24, 2015

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Great to see the Americans and Brit who foiled the train attack receive the French Legion of Honor award http://t.co/b5byV68nlM

— Nicholas Kristof (@NickKristof) August 24, 2015

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.@USAirForce to award highest non-combat medal to train-attack hero: http://t.co/LS7JJus6Rn #military @TaraCopp pic.twitter.com/2o2IlGFY6v

— Stars and Stripes (@starsandstripes) August 24, 2015

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