BROOKINGS – South Dakota State University became the nation’s ninth Purple Heart Campus, recognized in a dedication ceremony at Grove Hall Friday.
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BROOKINGS – South Dakota State University became the nation’s ninth Purple Heart Campus, recognized in a dedication ceremony at Grove Hall Friday.
Kenneth Teunissen, commander of the Military Order of the Purple Heart Chapter No. 5355, read a resolution declaring SDSU as the state’s first Purple Heart Campus.
SDSU students, staff and retired faculty who have received Purple Hearts were recognized, as were several community members who have also received the honor.
Connie Johnson, who is the coordinator for veterans services in Veterans Affairs, received a Purple Heart after serving as a specialist with the 101st Military Police Company in Iraq from February 2003 to January 2004.
Johnson said the delineation shows student veterans that SDSU recognizes the sacrifice they made for the country and that the school is here to support them.
“When you walk into our office, you might look at me and think because she works at Veterans Affairs, she must be a veteran but not really understand that not only am I a veteran, I’m also a combat veteran and I saw war, I saw death and all of these awful things. During that time, I was also wounded while serving. Those are things you typically don’t associate with women,” she said.
