Purple Heart presented to Baumholder officer 12 years after injury

BAUMHOLDER, RP, GERMANY

05.23.2017

Story by Sgt. 1st Class Jacob McDonald 

21st Theater Sustainment Command

KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany – A young mortuary affairs Soldier and his team were returning from a search-and-recovery mission in Baghdad, Aug. 7, 2005, when their vehicle came under mortar and small arms fire. The Soldier was injured in an explosion during the fighting.

Twelve years later, that same Soldier, Capt. David Rodriguez-Cardona, supply officer, 421st Medical Battalion (Multifunctional), was presented the Purple Heart for those injuries, May 23, during a ceremony in Baumholder, Germany.

With his entire team engaged in the fight, Rodriguez kept fighting after the explosion until he lost consciousness. He woke up on the floor of a Humvee with shrapnel in his arm and leg. When they returned to base Rodriguez and his teammates were treated, and went back to the mission of recovering Soldiers’ remains to make sure no one was left behind.

“It was a minor injury compared to people who were passing away,” Rodriguez said. “Nobody really wants a Purple Heart, especially in that line of work. All you do is see people who paid the ultimate sacrifice.”

Because his command was not in theater and he was operationally assigned to another unit with a very fast-paced mission, the recognition of his combat injuries was unintentionally overlooked.

In 2006 Rodriguez deployed again, this time to Afghanistan and received a Combat Action Badge there. In 2008 and 2010, he deployed again to Iraq as a senior mortuary affairs advisor. Over the course of four deployments he estimates he handled 1,200-1,400 cases.

The road to receiving the Purple Heart began after he became an officer.

In 2012 Rodriguez completed Green-to-Gold at Virginia State University and was stationed at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. While assigned there he was diagnosed with a non-combat related traumatic brain injury after losing consciousness. As his doctors looked further into his medical history, they told him he should have received a Purple Heart for his initial injuries in Iraq. After receiving that news his command began the long process to document the injury and retroactively correct the oversight. Earlier in 2017 Rodriguez finally got the call saying he had been awarded the Purple Heart.

“It was really emotional,” he said. “I was really grateful for the award. In my mind I am taking it for all those people that died in the name of the country.”

As he prepared for the ceremony, Rodriguez said he asked his children what they knew about the Purple Heart, receiving an answer that it was generally given to those who passed away. He explained his award to his children, adding that he knows he is lucky to be alive. Having worked with so many of the servicemembers who had given their lives in service, he said he will wear the medal in remembrance of all those who paid the ultimate sacrifice.

“I am proud to receive it,” he said. “It’s an honor and I want to pay it forward.”

Some of those who he now wears the medal for were personal friends. At the ceremony he read the names those who he had personally lost in combat.

“It took a lot of years and it happened, but I couldn’t choose a better week than Memorial Day weekend to receive it,” he said.

• Date Taken: 05.23.2017
• Date Posted: 05.25.2017 08:36
• Story ID: 235186
• Location: BAUMHOLDER, RP, DE