Overview

• The ceremony coincided with National Purple Heart Day and recognized nearly 100 service members wounded or killed in combat.
• Three attendees—Thomas Matteo, Gerald Enter Jr. and John Ford—had sent their Purple Heart medals to President Trump after his July 2024 shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania.
• Chris LaCivita, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and Trump’s 2024 campaign manager who earned a Purple Heart in the Gulf War, was also honored.
• Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan “Razin” Caine represented senior administration and military leadership.
• Honorees included a father-and-son duo, Kevin and Brian Willette, and specialist Kevin Jensen, who rescued Capt. Sam Brown from an IED-damaged Humvee in Afghanistan.