Nine Army veterans were awarded Purple Heart Medals by U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth for their service in Kuwait and Iraq at a ceremony hosted at The Sabalauski Air Assault School on Fort Campbell.
Major General David Gardner, the commanding general of the 101st Airborne Division, spotlighted the significance of the Purple Heart Medal. The Purple Heart is one of the nation’s oldest military decorations and Gardner says it’s not awarded for achievement or rank, but instead it’s awarded to those who have shed blood and suffered wounds at the hands of the enemy.
Six of the soldiers awarded were wounded in a 2003 insider attack in Kuwait, and the other three awarded were wounded in 2006 during their deployment to Samara, Iraq. The following individuals were presented Purple Heart Medals:
- Retired Col. Townley Hedrick, for wounds sustained on March 23, 2003
- Retired Col. Andras Marton, for wounds sustained on March 23, 2003
- Retired Lt. Col. Shawn Phillips, for wounds sustained on March 23, 2003
- Retired Lt. Col. Kenneth Romaine, for wounds sustained on March 23, 2003
- Retired Maj. David Santos, for wounds sustained on March 23, 2003
- U.S. Army Veteran 1st Lt. Gian Amorsolo, for wounds sustained on March 23, 2003
- U.S. Army Veteran Cpl. Marcus Sandoval, for wounds sustained on April 7, 2006
- U.S. Army Veteran Sgt. Mark Pham, for wounds sustained on April 30, 2006
- U.S. Army Veteran Spec. Miguel Lopez, for wounds sustained on May 2, 2006
Photo courtesy of the U.S. Department of War