WASHINGTON (AP) – Democratic Rep. Martin Frost wants civilians who died or were injured in the Pentagon attack awarded the Purple Heart, a medal reserved for military personnel killed or wounded in combat.
”Awarding the Purple Heart to the many civilian employees who perished in the attack on the Pentagon would recognize the essential work civilian workers provide for our national defense and the tremendous sacrifice they made in performing their duties,” Frost said in a statement.
A bill introduced by Frost, of Dallas, would allow civilian Department of Defense employees who were victims of the Sept. 11 attack to receive the medal.
Frost said that as of Wednesday, the Department of Defense had listed 64 civilian employees of the Pentagon unaccounted for, including 47 Army civilians, nine Navy civilians, seven employees of the Defense Intelligence Agency and one employee of the Secretary’s Office.
In 1973, criteria for awarding the Purple Heart was changed to include people wounded or killed in a terrorist attack. But in 1998, Congress restricted award of the medal to military personnel only.
S.J. Maloukis, adjutant of the Department of Texas Military Order of the Purple Heart, was not enthusiastic about Frost’s proposal.
”The Purple Heart is awarded for combat wounds from facing an armed enemy of the United States. They should have an award, I’m sure, but it should be something other than the Purple Heart,” he said.
The Purple Heart is officially named the Order of the Purple Heart for Military Merit and is considered the oldest military decoration in the world still in use and the first award made available to a common soldier.