FORT CAMPBELL, KY – In conjunction with the Week of the Eagles, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth visited Fort Campbell and addressed the 101st Airborne Division on May 18 to address soldiers and award Purple Hearts.

“Being a soldier is a difficult thing; what you sacrifice, what you’re willing to do, most Americans can’t understand,” Hegseth said to soldiers. According to a news release from the Department of War, Hegseth administered the oath of enlistment in person to several dozen soldiers telling them that he, the War Department and President Donald J. Trump have their backs.

Line of soldiers in camouflage uniforms and berets stand in formation facing a speaker on a stage at an outdoor ceremony near a building labeled 'The Air Assault School'.
Men in suits shake hands at a formal outdoor ceremony, medals pinned to jackets, with military personnel in the background.

Purple Hearts awarded at Fort Campbell

The following nine soldiers were honored:

  • Retired Col. Townley Hendrick for wounds received on March, 23 2003
  • Retired Col. Andras Marton for wounds received on March, 23, 2003.
  • Retired Lt. Col. Shawn Phillips for wounds received on March 23, 2003.
  • Retired Lt. Col. Kenneth Romaine for wounds received on March 23, 2003.
  • Retired Maj. David Santos for wounds received on March 23, 2003.
  • Veteran 1st Lt. Gian Amorsolo for wounds received on March 23, 2003.
  • Veteran Sgt. Mark Pham for wounds received on April 30, 2006.
  • Veteran Cpl. Marcus Sandoval for wounds received on April 7, 2006.
  • Veteran Spc. Miguel Lopez for wounds received on May 2, 2006.

During the 2003 incident, one U.S. soldier threw grenades into three tents, wounding 16 service members. Three of them were seriously hurt. Army Capt. Christopher Scott Seifert and Air Force Maj. Gregory Stone were killed in the attack. Army Sgt. Hasan Akbar was detained and later sentenced to death for carrying out the attack.

Hegseth emphasized in his speech that Purple Hearts should be presented to recipients in public settings saying, “We should be holding ceremonies and holding them up and reading citations and talking about the heroism and the service and the sacrifice of those individuals, so that the other troops see how important that is, and so that the nation sees how important it is, and so that my kids … your kiddos, your grandkids, look up and say, ‘Wow, maybe I could be like him. Maybe I could be like her, maybe I can serve my nation someday.'”

Livestreams of both of the ceremonies are available on the Department of War website.

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