Hegseth says 2 West Virginia National Guard members to receive Purple Heart
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Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced Friday that two West Virginia National Guard members — Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom and Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, who was shot in an ambush-style attack near the White House late last year, will receive the Purple Heart.
Hegseth, who called the Nov. 26 incident “a terrible thing” and said the troops were “attacked by a radical,” made the announcement while speaking at the National Guard re-enlistment ceremony at the Washington Monument, where more than 100 Guard members from nine states serving in Washington, D.C., took the enlistment oath.
“And we had something terrible happen a few months ago,” Hegseth said. “Andrew Wolfe and Sarah Beckstrom, one lost, one healed, thankfully in miraculous ways. Both will soon be Purple Heart recipients because they were attacked by an extremist.”
The remarks mark Hegseth’s first public confirmation that soldiers will receive the Purple Heart, one of the nation’s oldest military decorations awarded to those killed or wounded as a result of enemy action.
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Secretary of War Pete Hegseth hosted a reenlistment ceremony for National Guard members on Friday at the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C. (DoW Photo/U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Alexander Kubitza)
Purple Heart Its origins date back to the American Revolution, when George Washington created the Badge of Military Merit in 1782 to recognize soldiers wounded or killed in service. The modern Purple Heart was revived in 1932 and is awarded by the president to U.S. soldiers wounded or killed as a result of enemy action.
Beckstrom, 20, and Wolfe, 24, were shot just blocks from the White House in what authorities described as an ambush-style attack.
Beckstrom died a day after the shooting. Wolfe was seriously injured and continues to recover.
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National Guard Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom was killed in a shooting incident in Washington, DC, on November 26. (Ministry of Justice)
The suspect in the shooting, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, faces nine charges, including first-degree murder while armed and assault with intent to kill while armed. He pleaded not guilty.
In a statement published on X, West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey thanked Hegseth for the announcement and said the recognition was long overdue.
“I thank Secretary @PeteHegseth for announcing that U.S. Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom and Air Force Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe will soon receive the Purple Heart, an honor that reflects their courage and sacrifice in defense of our nation,” Morrisey wrote.
Morrisey said he officially claimed the Purple Heart awards on Dec. 19, adding that the announcement “brings long overdue honor to their service, offers meaning and reassurance to their families, and is a solemn reminder that West Virginia will never forget those who sacrificed in defense of others.”
Hegseth’s comments Friday came during a ceremony honoring the National Guard’s ongoing security mission in the nation’s capital.
According to the War Department newsletterMore than 100 Guard members from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Indiana, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina and West Virginia reenlisted Friday as part of the mission.
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National Guard Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe was injured in a shooting incident in Washington, DC, on November 26. (Ministry of Justice)
The troops are among more than 2,600 National Guard members currently serving in Washington at the direction of President Donald Trump to support the D.C. Safe and Nice Task Force, which was established in August 2025 after the president declared a crime emergency in the city.
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Addressing the Guard, Hegseth described their service in Washington as “front-line” duty.
“This is no easy task. It’s the real deal. This is on the front lines,” he said. “You did that and you did a good job.”
The military was not immediately available for comment after reaching out to Fox News Digital.
Fox News Digital’s Rachel Wolf and Fox News’ Jake Gibson contributed to this story.
