There are still stories that can touch our hearts and renew our sense of American pride.
The story of Joshua Hargis is one that has to be shared. A young Ranger with the 3rd Battalion, Josh was deployed to Afghanistan's Panjwai district on a High Value Target (HVT) mission, where so much went wrong.
According to the account listed on Guardian of Valor, as the unit went in to question a man they found on site, a woman wearing a suicide vest appeared. She blew herself up, killing several of the soldiers instantly and wounding others. As rescue forces arrived to help the wounded, 13 more explosives went off, increasing U.S. fatalities.
Joshua was among the wounded and was first evacuated to a base hospital in Afghanistan. After he was stabilized, Army officials conducted the Purple Heart ceremony at his bedside, to award him for his sacrifice in action.
The photo above symbolizes everything that is strong, courageous, and exceptional about our nation’s servicemen and women. Below is the touching account of Josh’s ceremony, as shared by his wife, Taylor, on her Facebook page.