Friday at Fort Hood, Texas, former U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Patrick Zeigler of Rochester, Minnesota, was presented the Purple Heart for wounds he received during the shootings at the army base on November 5, 2009.

Zeigler was the most seriously wounded of all the shooting victims during the incident in which 13 were killed and more than 30 were injured when Major Nadal Hassan opened fire after shouting 'God is great' in Arabic. Zeigler was returning from a tour in Iraq and waiting in the processing center when he was shot four times, once through the head.

The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation offered its sincere gratitude and congratulations to Staff Sergeant Zeigler of Rochester,Minn. Accompanied by wife Jessica and son Liam, Zeigler received a Purple Heart Friday.

RMEF spokesman Mark Holyoak explains how the foundation became involved in Zeigler's story.

"It was shortly after the shooting while he was lying in bed in the hospital and he was talking to a chaplain," Holyoak said. "He said, 'I'm not in any shape to do it, but I'd sure like to go on an elk hunt someday'. Somehow, the story got to Jim Zumbo, who is a board member of the RMEF. Then word got back to our CEO, David Allen here in Montana, and he said somehow we're going to make this happen."

Holyoak said Zeigler worked for days and weeks in rehab, and even though the doctors said he would never walk again, he proved them wrong," he said. "Last fall we hooked up with Patrick and took him on a hunt and he was able to take a nice bull. What makes it come full circle, is there was a ceremony this morning at Fort Hood, in which Patrick was awarded the Purple Heart, accompanied by his wife Jessica and his son, Liam."

Zeigler’s Purple Heart was one of 44 medals presented during the Fort Hood ceremony.

 

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