Retired Sgt. Jon Armbrust received the Purple Heart April 1 at Brooke Army Medical Center in Fort Sam Houston.
Armbrust, an infantryman, served in Iraq where he was injured on July 30, 2007, while serving as a gunner on mounted patrol when his vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device. Armburst sustained a concussion in the attack.
Recommended Videos
According to Lt. Col. Eric Edwards, the ceremony host and commander of the Warrior Transition Battalion, the ceremony was done to celebrate and pay tribute to a service member of the generation that is still fighting today's battles.
"Sgt. Armbrust's service carries the same commonality as with the soldiers of Gen. Washington's day as they too volunteered to step forward and defend their country in the hour of need," said Edwards. "Today, he'll join the honored company of well over half a million Purple Heart recipients who are still alive today, who all served and sacrificed so very much in the name of something higher then themselves."
Armbrust, a native of Roanoke, Va., was grateful for everyone in attendance and those he served with.
"I appreciate everyone that came here today; this means a lot to me," Armbrust said. "I appreciate all the hard work that my AW2 (Army Wounded Warrior Program) did to put in for it (Purple Heart), he did a lot of legwork."