Two West Virginia National Guard members shot during a November attack in Washington, D.C., will receive the Purple Heart after a request from that state’s governor.
Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, who will receive the award posthumously, died Nov. 27, the day after the shooting at the Farragut West Metro station. Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe was shot in the head and survived.
“One lost, one recovered, thank God, in miraculous ways,” Hegseth said while administering the oath of enlistment to National Guard soldiers at the Washington Monument on Feb 6. “Both soon to be Purple Heart recipients, because they were attacked by a radical.”
Police identified Ramanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan refugee who entered the U.S. in 2021 after working for the CIA in Afghanistan, as the suspected shooter. He has been charged in D.C. with first-degree murder while armed, assault with intent to kill while armed, and two counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. He also faces two federal firearm charges.
“It’s not an easy assignment, it’s the real deal, it’s the front lines,” Hegseth told the group of re-enlisting soldiers, referring to the D.C. deployment. Beckstrom and Wolfe had been assigned to the Task Force since August.
Wolfe received emergency surgery following the shooting to relieve pressure on his brain. In the months since, he has transitioned from acute care to inpatient rehabilitation. According to a Facebook update from his mother, Melody, he will soon begin 8-12 weeks of residential rehab and is scheduled for a craniotomy to reconstruct his skull.
Wolfe is suffering from aphasia and was initially non-verbal, but is making greater-than-expected progress.
“Some things that have brought me so much hope in this season are getting FaceTime calls from him, hearing him talk about past memories, his laugh, doing so much for himself independently, and just wanting to spend time with family and friends,” said his mother. “He asks for us to be one big happy family. We know there are some hurdles ahead but we can see some light at the end of the tunnel.”
Following the shooting, the Trump administration announced an additional 500 National Guard troops would join the deployment. Soldiers also began carrying firearms and conducting joint patrols with officers from D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department.
West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrissey, who submitted the official Purple Heart request in December for Beckstrom and Wolfe, told ABC News, ”This announcement brings long-overdue honor to their service, offers meaning and reassurance to their families, and stands as a solemn reminder that West Virginia will never forget those who sacrifice in defense of others.”
