Fort Hood victims to receive Purple Hearts this week

More than 40 victims of the 2009 Fort Hood mass shooting will be honored with the Purple Heart and its civilian equivalent Friday.

In all, 44 people will receive the Purple Heart or the Defense Medal of Freedom in a ceremony hosted at the military base, Rep. Roger Williams (R-Texas) said in a statement Wednesday. 

The event “will be a solemn reminder that members of our armed services make the ultimate sacrifice at home just as they do abroad. It will memorialize the civilians who gave more than was asked of them,” he said.

{mosads}The Defense Department classified the shooting, in which Army psychiatrist Maj. Nidal Hasan killed 13 people and wounded more than 30 others, as workplace violence, rather than an act of terrorism.

He was convicted in 2013 of 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted murder.

Hasan had been in contact with al Qaeda leader Anwar al-Awlaki, and victims have argued that they should be eligible for extra combat benefits and recognition.

Friday’s ceremony will cap a years-long push by Republican lawmakers for legislation to declare the shooting took place in a combat zone and was a terrorist attack, mandating Purple Hearts for soldiers killed or wounded.

The effort culminated with the language in the 2014 National Defense Authorization Act, which President Obama signed into law in December.

“Make no mistake, the Purple Heart and Defense of Freedom medals will not bring back innocent American lives or heal these victims’ wounds, but it will recognize their heroism and mark our loss,” Williams said.

Army Secretary John McHugh announced in February the service would award the medals, calling the gesture “an appropriate recognition of their service and sacrifice.”