FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE / MEDIA ADVISORY

CAMP SHELBY, Miss. – The Mississippi National Guard is hosting a Purple Heart presentation ceremony at the Camp Shelby Joint Forces Training Center Armed Forces Museum, Wednesday, August 23, 2023, beginning at 3:00 p.m.

U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith will present retired Army Maj. Victor F. Hogan with the Purple Heart medal for wounds he received in action Sept. 11, 2006, in Iraq.

An Army captain at the time, Hogan, a native of Purvis, Mississippi, was riding in a Stryker when the up-armored vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device (IED), launching the 40,000-pound machine a few feet into the air and tossing it to the opposite side of the road. Hogan was struck by fragments from the blast and was flipped 180 degrees inside the vehicle, striking his head and losing consciousness for several minutes, resulting in a traumatic brain injury (TBI).

At the time of his injury, the military had little understanding of the effects of blast injuries and the Purple Heart medal was not authorized for TBIs. However, upon further research and medical record reviews of TBI victims, the DoD authorized the award in 2011 for TBIs incurred during combat operations.

Hogan’s award was approved by the Army Board for Correction of Military Records April 23, 2023, after years of records reviews and evidence gathering.

MEDIA CREDENTIALING:

Media representatives must coordinate attendance by submitting FULL NAME, AFFILIATE, EMAIL, and PHONE NUMBER to the Camp Shelby Joint Forces Training Center Public Affairs Specialist, Spc. Amber Milsap at 601-342-7832 and by email at ng.ms.msarng.list.public-affairs@army.mil. Confirmed media must arrive at the Camp Shelby South Gate no later than 2:30 p.m., Wednesday, August 23, 2023, to receive media escort.