Photo By Sgt. 1st Class John Healy | Maj. Gen. Michael Bills, commander of the 1st Cavalry Division, presents Cpt. Travis...... read more read more
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FORT HOOD, Texas – On New Year’s Eve, 2013, while the band Train was performing a cover of John Lennon’s “Imagine” in front of a massive crowd in Times Square, 1st Lt. Travis Fugate was on Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan, returning to work after a quick meal.
That’s when the rockets struck.
Just over a year after being wounded by the indirect fire, now Capt. Fugate, was awarded the Purple Heart in a ceremony May 1 on Cooper Field here.
The first rocket impacted somewhere on the runway at Bagram Airfield while Fugate was walking back from chow, ready to resume working at the 3rd Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division’s headquarters.
“[The first rocket] was pretty far away from me, and I was about ready to get back up, thinking it was all clear,” said Fugate, a native of Lexington, Kentucky. “I decided to wait a few more minutes.”
The second rocket landed much closer.
“I heard a loud whistle, and I knew it,” he said. “It was just a split second before it impacted about 20 ft. in front of me.”
The two 120 mm rockets originated from the mountains surrounding BAF. Though oftentimes wildly inaccurate, they can still be incredibly deadly.
“It’s kind of a blur, I don’t know if I was knocked unconscious or what, but time went by very quickly,” said Fugate. “I remember checking myself for any visible wounds, making sure I was Okay head to toe.”
Capt. Dave Marcoux, the 3-82 FA physician’s assistant, was on call in the emergency room at BAF when the attack happened.
“Any time there’s an alarm or somebody’s going outside the wire, they’re already spun up and ready,” said Marcoux. “They’re well prepared and well-rehearsed.”
Fugate suffered a concussion, minor abrasions and superficial wounds. However his injuries would have been much worse if Fugate hadn’t been wearing his body armor or didn’t respond correctly to the attack.
“He was really close to the impact, just steps away,” said Marcoux. “If he was standing up it would have been a different story, but he was on the ground like he was supposed to be.”
This fact isn’t lost on the battalion’s leadership, who hope Fugate’s experience sends a message to other Soldiers.
“Clearly, the protective gear that he had, the fact that we enforced and mandated that everybody wear it, is allowing him to walk and talk today,” said Sgt. Maj. Theodore Durand, senior noncommissioned officer for 3-82 FA.
Durand hopes that Fugate’s close call will leave a lasting impression on his current and future Soldiers on the importance of wearing the right gear at all times.
“He’s going to be the best advocate to teach that from first-hand experience to ensure that others realize that there’s a purpose to many of those battle drills,” said Durand. “He’s a living testimonial to that.”
Receiving the Purple Heart will be Fugate’s last memory of Fort Hood. He left immediately after the ceremony to visit family back home, before reporting to Fort Sill, Oklahoma to begin the Field Artillery Captain’s Career Course.
Fugate has one person in particular he is looking forward to seeing.
“I’ve always had a great respect for everyone in the military, especially Purple Heart veterans,” said Fugate. “My grandpa, who is a Korean War veteran, is also a Purple Heart recipient.”
Fugate’s grandfather, Raymond Fugate, retired as a command sergeant major after serving in the Army for more than 20 years. In addition to the Purple Heart, Raymond Fugate is also a Silver Star recipient, and one of Travis’s first role models.
“He’s proud that I joined,” said Fugate. “He always gave me lots of advice growing up, getting to hear his stories about the Korean War and his experiences.”
Now, Fugate has some stories of his own, along with a new award to show his grandfather.
“It feels even more special to share that with him,” he said.
| Date Taken: | 05.01.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 05.11.2015 17:21 |
| Story ID: | 162945 |
| Location: | FORT HOOD, TX, US |
| Web Views: | 57 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Black Jack Soldier awarded the Purple Heart, by SFC John Healy, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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