VICKSBURG, Miss. - Retired Army Reserve Sgt. Maj. Shirley D. Warner-Preacely was awarded the Purple Heart by Maj. Gen. William M. Buckler, Jr., commanding general of 412th Theater Engineer Command, during a ceremony held here Saturday, Feb. 9, at the George A. Morris Army Reserve Center.
Warner-Preacely, a native of Vicksburg, received the Purple Heart for wounds received in action as a result of hostile fire in Iraq on March 25, 2008.
During her remarks in front of her peers and family members, she acknowledged and thanked another Soldier for the courage and concern he showed her during the rocket attack. She called Sgt. 1st Class Brandon Bailey to the front of the formation and praised him for his selfless service and heroic actions that day.
"Sgt. 1st Class Bailey could have stayed where he was, but he took the risk to come out and look for me, to help me and see if I was okay. His actions speak greatly to his character and to our belief to never leave a Soldier behind," she said.
She recalled Bailey, realizing that she was working in the area of impact, exposed himself to possibly more incoming rockets, grabbed his first aid bag and ran to where she was. He found her alive but disoriented from the extreme heat and pressure of the rocket blast and falling debris.
She also acknowledged Staff Sgt. Amesha S. Gross wounded by the same rocket blast. "After the rocket hit, I could hear Staff Sgt. Gross screaming for me, screaming to see if I was okay, even though she was wounded, too."
Warner-Preacely was eventually treated at a combat support hospital in Baghdad but served out her tour of duty of Iraq. She underwent two years of therapy in the Wounded Warrior Program when she completed her deployment.
Today, Warner-Preacely looks and is doing fine. No one would think that she ever had suffered a rocket attack in a war zone. But appearances can be misleading as she still suffers from unseen injuries.
"I still get migraine headaches and nightmares," she said. "But, I have to be strong for Denita's sake, my daughter. This world is not always a nice place."
Mentorship is one way Warner-Preacely deals with these ongoing effects. She often visits local schools and talks about her experiences to the students in order to help them in any way.
"At first, I couldn't talk about what happened. But I find that talking with the students to be very therapeutic and healing," she said.
Warner-Preacely's husband, U.S. Army Lt. Col. Dennis Preacely, and her mother, Ada Brown, have also been a pillar of support for her. "They both have been wonderful," Warner-Preacely said. "They have been a great help to me during my recovery time."
Faith is a major part of Warner-Preacely's strength. "If it weren't for God, I wouldn't be here," she said, regarding the rocket incident. She said the power of prayer is what has helped her since then and what continuously helps her now.
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