TAMPA - A combat veteran wounded during his third tour of Iraq was awarded the Purple Heart on Thursday during a ceremony at the James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital.
Staff Sgt. Jason Letterman of the U.S. Army, lost both legs May 22 when a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle, officials said. One soldier died in the blast and Letterman and two others suffered life-threatening injuries.
Letterman, who is stationed at Fort Stewart, Ga., was recently admitted to the hospital, officials said.
His wife, Elena, and children Daniel, 9, Nathaniel, 8, and Alexander, 3, were with him when he received the Purple Heart. Officers from U.S. Central Command-or CENTCOM-also attended the ceremony.
The Purple Heart is one of the military's highest honors. It is given to soldiers wounded or killed in combat.
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