(CBS) — It could have easily been another South Side murder of an innocent girl, but it wasn’t.

She was saved by her friend, who dove in front of her and took three bullets.

On Thursday, her young friend was honored as a hero by a four-star general.

CBS 2′s Brad Edwards reports.

Rony Monzon has scars near his heart. He was seriously wounded in July when he protected his friend from what he said was gunfire meant for a gangbanger.

This week, he was awarded a Junior ROTC Medal of Heroism by a four-star general, a rare honor.

Rony says he’s moved on and doesn’t think about what happened. But for his mother, Diana, it’s a different story.

“That changed my life forever,” she said. “You think one moment that your son is going to be dead.”

“He’s everything for us, and we are so proud of him, and he’s our hero,” she adds.

The young man says he may become a police officer when he grows up.

The crime, still an open case, was never solved.