We Are Grateful U.S. Army Will Honor Fort Hood Terror Victims with Purple Hearts
Enabled by Cruz legislation that expanded Purple Heart eligibility
WASHINGTON, DC -- Sen. Ted Cruz, R-TX, today released the following statement regarding the Army’s announcement to award the Purple Heart and its civilian counterpart, the Medal for the Defense of Freedom, to the victims of the 2009 terrorist attack upon Fort Hood.
“On November 5, 2009, a brutal terror attack was carried out at Fort Hood. The lives of 14 people were taken, one of them an unborn child, and 32 were injured. Today, we are grateful that the U.S. Army has chosen to bestow the Purple Heart, and its civilian counterpart, the Medal for the Defense of Freedom, on these victims,” said Sen. Cruz.
“This attack was a clear act of radical Islamic terrorism, conducted on American soil – the original decision to designate it ‘workplace violence’ and deny these honors was a betrayal of the sacrifice of each of the victims. It is well past time for them to receive these awards and I thank the Secretary of the Army for reaching this determination. We can never undo the events of that day, but we can properly honor the courageous patriots who protect our nation and remain forever grateful for them.”
Last year, Sen. Cruz introduced an amendment to the 2015 National Defense Reauthorization Act (NDAA), which was approved by the Senate Armed Services Committee and passed by Congress, to expand Purple Heart eligibility to victims of the Fort Hood terror attack.
He also released the following video last year to highlight the importance of designating the attack as an act of terrorism instead of workplace violence.
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