National Purple Heart Day: How I’m Supporting Nevada Veterans

As Nevada’s United States Senator, I’m proud to represent hundreds of thousands of veterans, and I’m always fighting to ensure that those who served our nation get the support, benefits, and recognition they deserve.

My incredible casework team is always here to assist our veterans. In honor of National Purple Heart Day, I’d like to tell you about two recent cases where my office helped Nevada veterans secure Purple Heart medals they earned.

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Earlier this year, we heard from a veteran from Sparks who served in the Vietnam War.

Former Army Staff Sergeant Thomas Martin was injured by a punji stake during combat operations in 1967. Nearly sixty years later, he still had not received the Purple Heart he earned due to administrative delays.

SSGT Martin contacted my office for assistance, and my team and I pushed the U.S. Army to evaluate the matter. I’m proud to say we were successful in getting the Army to retroactively award Staff Sergeant Martin with his long-overdue, well-deserved Purple Heart.

My team in Las Vegas was also honored to assist Retired Sergeant First Class Thomas Koehler, who was injured in the line of duty in 2005 during his service to our nation in Iraq.

SFC Koehler was medically retired from the Army in 2016, and continued serving the local military and veteran community as a Veteran Service Officer.

When SFC Koehler contacted my team to help him secure his Purple Heart, we got it done in less than 60 days. I had the pleasure of presenting him with the medal myself during a ceremony in Las Vegas.

Nevada veterans can always count on me to have their backs.

I look forward to keeping you updated on my work. You can also contact my office, find me on X, Facebook, Bluesky, or Instagram, or sign up for my e-newsletter for more information.

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