On Thursday, President Donald Trump visited with wounded service members and their families at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Calling veterans “some of the bravest people anywhere in the world,” the president awarded a Purple Heart to a lieutenant recently injured in combat in Afghanistan, while extending holiday greetings to other patients.
According to Fox News, 1st Lt. Victor Prato of the 127th Airborne Engineer Battalion was awarded the Purple Heart after suffering multiple soft tissue injuries following a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device blast on November 13, while deployed in the Kandahar province in Afghanistan. The Daily Princetonian reported that three other soldiers were also wounded in the attack.
White House social media director Dan Scavino, who accompanied the president on the visit, shared the a video of the touching moment on Twitter.
Today, @POTUS @realDonaldTrump presented the Purple Heart to an American Hero, at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. pic.twitter.com/xvSg35Xs70
— Dan Scavino Jr. (@Scavino45) December 21, 2017
Press secretary Sarah Sanders, meanwhile, called the bedside ceremony “one of the most powerful moments of my life.”
One of the most powerful moments of my life watching @POTUS give the Purple Heart to this American Hero. Amazed by the strength and resilience of the men and women in our Armed Forces. pic.twitter.com/AtoaboF4DE
— Sarah Sanders (@PressSec) December 21, 2017
As The Hill reported, White House chief of staff John Kelly was also among those who joined Trump at Walter Reed. The president last visited the facility in April, and told reporters the purpose of this trip was simply to “wish them a merry Christmas, a happy New Year,” adding “we love those people.”
(H/T: The Hill)