On August 21, three friends were heading to Paris from Amsterdam as their Euro Trip winded down. After spending some time in the Netherlands, the three Americans opted to head to France, but before they arrived, they were thrown into a harrowing situation that earned them international acclaim. Sacramento, California residents Anthony Sadler, Alex Skarlatos, and Spencer Stone witnessed a man enter their train car with an AK-47, which he began aiming at passengers. The three friends, two of whom had military training, took down the suspected terrorist before anyone could be killed and as later reports suggested, the gunman had a history of being tracked by counter-terrorism agencies in Europe. Further investigation revealed he was carrying enough ammunition to kill dozens of the 500 passengers aboard that high-speed train.

In the weeks since the ordeal, the three heroes have been awarded a slew of medals, including France’s highest decoration, Legion d’honneur, bestowed upon them by President Francois Hollande. Stateside, their efforts have been applauded by President Obama, who called the three men personally to thank them for their actions. Sadler, a physical therapy student whose iPhone video of the incident allowed millions to witness what went down on the train, visited Jimmy Fallon on “The Tonight Show” last night to share his experience, a conversation punctuated with humor but also heavy with the gravity of the life-threatening situation. Listen to his amazing story.

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