Fort Hood victims to be awarded Purple Hearts

On Feb. 6, Secretary of the Army John McHugh announced that servicemembers who were mortally wounded or injured during the attack carried out in 2009 by U.S. Army Maj. Nidal Hasan at Fort Hood, Texas, will be awarded the Purple Heart Medal. Civilians who were also hurt or killed during the attack will receive the Secretary of Defense Medal for the Defense of Freedom – the civilian equivalent of the Purple Heart.

Previously, the Purple Heart has only been awarded to troops who were injured or killed in action.

“The Purple Heart’s strict eligibility criteria had prevented us from awarding it to victims of the horrific attack at Fort Hood,” McHugh said. “Now that Congress has changed the criteria, we believe there is sufficient reason to allow these men and women to be awarded and recognized with either the Purple Heart or, in the case of civilians, the Defense of Freedom medal. It’s an appropriate recognition of their service and sacrifice.”

An amendment to the 2015 National Defense Authorization Act broadened the Purple Heart eligibility criteria, redefining terrorist acts, including attacks carried out by individuals or entities “in communication with a foreign terrorist organization” beforehand and the act was “inspired or motivated by the foreign terrorist organization.”

“The American Legion would like to thank Secretary McHugh for this long overdue decision,” said John Stovall, director of the Legion’s National Security Division. “We would like to recognize the deserving troops who showed selfless sacrifice and dedication to their country that day.”