Military, Civilians to Receive Recognition for Sept. 11 Sacrifice
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Sept. 27, 2001 -- Military and civilian
personnel killed or injured in the Sept. 11 terrorist
attacks will be recognized for their sacrifice, Defense
Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said Sept. 27.
Service members will receive the traditional Purple Heart
medal.
Civilian employees will receive the new Secretary of
Defense Medal for the Defense of Freedom. Rumsfeld said the
civilians killed or wounded in the attack were "combat
casualties -- brave men and women who risked their lives to
safeguard our freedom, and they paid for our liberty with
their lives."
 |
| Secretary of Defense Medal for the Defense of Freedom (Click photo for screen-resolution image; high-resolution image available.)
|
Officials said about 90 civilian employees qualify for the
medal. "The establishment of this decoration is a fitting
honor and a tribute to the extraordinary dedication and
service of the department's civilian workforce," Rumsfeld
said.
Prerequisites for award of the civilian medal are the same
as for the military Purple Heart. The recipient must have
been killed or wounded as a result of hostile actions. The
secretary also has the discretion to award the medal to
non-DoD civilians, such as contractors killed in the
attack.
DoD civilians killed or wounded in the Pentagon, the World
Trade Center or aboard any of the hijacked flights are
eligible for the Defense of Freedom medal.
The new medal is a golden medallion suspended from a red,
white and blue ribbon. The front shows an eagle and shield
and the words "Defense of Freedom" while the back has a
laurel wreath and the words "On Behalf of a Grateful
Nation." There is a space for the name of the recipient.
The Army's Institute of Heraldry at Fort Belvoir, Va.,
designed the medal. The first should be available for
distribution in early November.
The Purple Heart and the Defense of Freedom medals are
awarded to those killed or wounded in combat. "For most of
our history, combat has been something that has mostly
taken place on foreign soil," Rumsfeld said. "These strikes
were the first on American soil since the Second World War
and the first attack on our capital by a foreign enemy
since the War of 1812."
He said the Sept. 11 attacks brought the battlefield home.
"(The medal) is also a recognition that the world has
changed and we can no longer be certain of future wars
being waged safely in their regions of origin," he said. "I
have every confidence that our armed forces and the
dedicated men and women of the Department of Defense are
ready to meet the challenges ahead."
Related Sites of Interest: | 
AFRTS Radio Report:
AFRTS TV Report:
Printer-friendly Version
Email A Copy
Printer Friendly