Four Baumholder Soldiers receive Purple Hearts

By Ignacio "Iggy" Rubalcava (USAG Baumholder Public Affairs)March 30, 2009

Four Baumholder Soldiers receive Purple Hearts
(Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

BAUMHOLDER, Germany - Four Baumholder Soldiers were presented the Purple Heart Medal and Combat Action Badge here recently by Lt. Gen. Kenneth Hunzeker, V Corps commander.

Two of the Soldiers also received the Army Commendation Medal with "V" device for valor.

Spc. Tyler Latham of the 40th Engineer Battalion and Spc. Darraivius Strawder, formerly with the brigade's 2nd Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment, were awarded the ARCOM with "V" device, the Purple Heart and Combat Action Badge during the ceremony.

Two other brigade Soldiers, Spc. Daniel Hausamann and Spc. Tanner Layton of the 1-6th Infantry, were awarded the Purple Heart and Combat Action Badge.

Hunzeker was in Baumholder to attend a memorial service for Cpl. Brian Connelly and later took the time to honor the four Soldiers for their actions while deployed to Iraq.

"It's an honor to come down to Baumholder to have a memorial service like we had today (for Connelly), but it's also a huge honor to recognize four Soldiers who are here still with us who clearly represent not only Soldiers like Cpl. Connelly, but represent the Soldiers who are still in harm's way downrange," said Hunzeker.

"These Soldiers represent two infantrymen, one sapper and one scout, clearly the mix of Soldiers that are downrange and what they do and how they're pulling together as a team," said Hunzeker.

Hunzeker explained that in spite of the dangerous situations Soldiers face, these Soldiers did not back down from their commitment. "They are clearly among the few who have raised their right hand and said, I want to be a Soldier. I recognize what that is and I recognize the commitment. I recognize what it is to wear the cloth of our nation. I recognize what it is to be less than one percent of our population and be a Soldier," said Hunzeker.

"It's truly an honor for me to be here today to recognize them for their heroic events downrange," said Hunzeker.

Counting off the Army values, personal courage being one of them, Hunzeker said, "Very few of us get to test our personal courage like these four Soldiers did. But in each case these four Soldiers were there, they were in harm's way, they didn't shy away, they took on the enemy, and they're here today to represent not only the brigade but to represent the generation that says, I understand what the Global War on Terror is all about."