Participating recipients include three veterans who sent Trump a Purple Heart Medal last year after an attempted assassination in Butler, Pennsylvania at Butler in July 2024.
Trump was able to meet Putin, Zelensky amid deadlines for the Ukrainian War
President Donald Trump was able to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Voldymir Zelensky ahead of the war deadline on August 8th.
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump is hosting nearly 100 Purple Heart winners at the White House in White Heart, recognizing veterans injured in military operations, including those who gave Trump a badge after surviving last year’s assassination attempt.
The ceremony, set at 4pm on August 7th at the White House East Room, commemorates America’s oldest military decoration, born under President George Washington in 1782, commemorates America’s oldest military decoration to honor those killed or wounded in the battle.
Participating recipients include three veterans (Thomas Matteo, Gerald Entent Jr. and John Ford) who last year sent a Purple Heart Medal to Trump following an assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Also present is Chris Lacivita, Trump’s 2024 campaign manager and US Marine veteran who received Purple Heart in 1991 for his service in the Gulf War.
The event will feature father-son combos Kevin Willett and Brian Willett.
Additionally, military expert Kevin Jensen is respected after being hit by an explosive device by Colonel Sam Brown, a recipient of Purple Heart from the Humvee in Afghanistan. Brown was confirmed last week by the Senate as Trump under the secretary of the Veterans Affairs Memorial Affairs Affairs Affairs.
“President Trump deeply cares about our brave men and women wearing uniforms. Today, he recalls those who have acquired this distinction and remembers who made the ultimate sacrifice to protect our freedom,” Taylor Rogers, assistant secretary for White House press, said in a statement to USA Today. “No one deserves more gratitude than these great American heroes.”
Other Purple Heart participants include:
- Eli Kuevas, a former team designated by a former team injured in Iraq during his second mission in Iraq.
- Senior Master Sergeant. Israel del Toro Junior, a retired Air Force veteran in 2022 and seriously injured a special war operator in Afghanistan in 2025.
- Retired Green Beret captain Andrew D. Ashford, who joined the US military after a 9/11 terrorist attack and was injured in Afghanistan in 2017 during a 14-hour firefighter against ISIS-K.
- Major James Capers was a highly decorated veteran of the Marines who won three Purple Hearts, Silver Stars and two Bronze Stars in the Vietnam War, and was the first black man to command a Marine Corps reconnaissance company.
Trump, who is not a veteran, received five postponements from the draft for military service during the Vietnam War. He was a university student in 1968 due to a medical exemption due to bone spurts on his heels and received four education postponements during the fifth postponement.
Over 1.8 million Americans received Purple Hearts. This was revived in 1932 by the administration of Franklin D. Roosevelt, celebrating the 200th anniversary of Washington’s birthday.
The award winner is decorated with heart-shaped decorations with gold embroidery featuring a purple background and a Washington profile.
Trump administration officials scheduled to attend the ceremony include Defense Secretary Pete Hegses, Veterans Secretary Doug Collins and Chief of Staff Dan Dan Dan “Razin” Kane.
Reach Joey Garrison with X @joeygarrison.
(This story has been updated with more information.)
