I got the Gold Star lapel pin award. It's the award no parent/spouse/child wants.
Posted on 02/06/2015 11:09:43 AM PST by Brad from Tennessee
Army Secretary John McHugh said Friday that he has approved awarding the Purple Heart and its civilian counterpart to those wounded during a mass shooting at Fort Hood, Texas, in 2009, following years of pressure from families and a change in rules approved by Congress.
The Nov. 5, 2009, shooting killed 13 people and wounded more than 30. It was carried out by Maj. Nidal Hasan, an Army psychiatrist, who was convicted in August 2013 of 13 counts of murder and 32 counts of attempted murder. Hasan said he acted because of what he alleged was U.S. aggression against Muslims and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He offered no apology during trial, and was sentenced to death.
The lack of recognition for those killed and wounded in the attack had angered some victims and their families and prevented them from receiving combat-related benefits. The medal is typically awarded for wounds in a war zone, but the Army’s criteria for the award says it also can be authorized in other situations, including international terrorist attacks against the United States.
he Army declined to call Hassan’s attack international terrorism, however. That led Congress to include a provision in the 2015 National Defense Authorization Act that required the Defense Department to review the Fort Hood case for Purple Heart recipients. . .
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Finally!
Yes, but in addition to the Purple Heart, will the survivors and families of the deceased receive the combat-related benefits that Obama’s DOD denied them? The full WP article doesn’t mention that.
About time.
Agree —about time! Are they saying now that it’s not a “work place shooting” but an actual act of terrorism by awarding Purple Hearts?? Hmmm......
The one award no Soldier wants.
It is long overdue.
The Congress made them do it. Congress inserted language into the Defense Appropriations Act that directed a change to the award criteria so that DoD had little choice but to approve the awards.
Unless of course your John Kerry and want to get out of serving in Vietnam!
Purple Hearts are awarded for among other things, “...an injury created by bullet, shrapnel, projectile, or other injury created by ENEMY action.”
Enemy action? Hmmmmm.
Good. A soldier being attacked on base by a raghead is in war.
We are so screwed.
A nut job Islamist kills US soldiers on US territory while yellow “Alluh Akbar” we can’t call the attack “terrorism,” or do anything about the ideology that caused the attack - but after 6 years of political banter and debate, we finally decide we can give the survivors Purple Hearts. And conservatives think this is a victory?
It’s sad that Congress had to pass a special act to make this happen because we have a military hating muslim in residence at the White House. Thankfully the victims and their families will now get the recognition and benefits they deserve.
This is a powerful and defining action.
They don’t award combat medals to stateside soldiers wounded by mental cases and mass murder nuts.
Criteria (wiki)
The Purple Heart is awarded in the name of the President of the United States to any member of the Armed Forces of the United States who, while serving under competent authority in any capacity with one of the U.S. Armed Services after April 5, 1917, has been wounded or killed. Specific examples of services which warrant the Purple Heart include any action against an enemy of the United States; any action with an opposing armed force of a foreign country in which the Armed Forces of the United States are or have been engaged; while serving with friendly foreign forces engaged in an armed conflict against an opposing armed force in which the United States is not a belligerent party; as a result of an act of any such enemy of opposing armed forces; or as the result of an act of any hostile foreign force. After 28 March 1973, as a result of an international terrorist attack against the United States or a foreign nation friendly to the United States, recognized as such an attack by the Secretary of the Army, or jointly by the Secretaries of the separate armed services concerned if persons from more than one service are wounded in the attack. After 28 March 1973, as a result of military operations while serving outside the territory of the United States as part of a peacekeeping force.
I got the Gold Star lapel pin award. It's the award no parent/spouse/child wants.
God bless you, sir.
I have no words.
Seems to me that they should get a Combat Infantry Badge as well.I’ll bet that those few minutes were every bit a bad as anything experienced in the Battle of Takrit.
Thank you for raising such a wonderful son.
Six years to admit it was a terrorist attack by an enemy of the United States.
What the heck took so long?
No one??? Some collect them for fun and profit.
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