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Kentucky Army National Guard Soldiers receive Purple Heart Medals

Jan. 27, 2011 | By kentuckyguard
VHV Story by Spc. Shanna Chouinard, 2123rd Transportation Company Photos by 2nd Lt.  Kristopher R. Karr, 2123rd Transportation Company [caption id="attachment_5095" align="alignleft" width="200" caption="Staff Sgt. Dennis LeFrancois receives the Purple Heart Medal from Maj. Gen. John Campbell, 101st Airborne Division commander."] BAGRAM, AFGANISTAN (Jan. 25, 2011) – Four Kentucky Army National Guard Soldiers from the 2123rd Transportation Company received the Purple Heart during a ceremony Dec. 30, at Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan. [caption id="attachment_5100" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Sgt. Allen Jones receives his Purple Heart Medal from Maj. Gen. John Campbell, 101st Airborne Division commander."]                   The Guardsmen received the award following an attack on the base that same day. [caption id="attachment_5097" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Staff Sgt. Tory Lowery shakes hands with Col. Michael Peterman, 101st Sustainment Brigade commander, after receiving the Purple Heart Medal."] Sgt. 1st Class Michael Osbourne, Staff Sgt. Tory Lowery, Staff Sgt. Dennis LeFrancois and Sgt. Allen Jones received the revered medal by Maj. Gen. John Campbell, commander of the 101st Airborne Division. Also in attendance were 101st Sustainment Brigade Commander, Col. Michael Peterman and the Kentucky Agribusiness Development Team 2 commander, Col. Hunter Mathews. These were the first casualties the 2123rd TC suffered in an attack on its base, although Soldiers from the unit have received 11 Purple Hearts for injuries sustained outside the wire. More than a dozen Soldiers will receive the Combat Action Badge for the Dec. 30 attack. “We are incredibly lucky that this incident was not much worse than it was,” said Capt. John Moore, commander, 2123rd TC. [caption id="attachment_5101" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Sgt. 1st Class Michael Osbourne receives his Purple Heart Medal from Maj. Gen. John Campbell, 101st Airborne Division commander."] “These guys must have an angel on their shoulders,” he said. “I’m very proud of the quick response from their battle buddies to get them immediate aid and then get them to the hospital.”

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