COLUMBIA CITY – Today, Senator Jim Banks (R-Ind.), an Afghanistan veteran and member of the Senate Armed Services and Veterans’ Affairs Committees, presented the Purple Heart to Fort Wayne native Command Sergeant Major (Ret.) Dennis L. Piercy, alongside Mayor Sharon Tucker.
Senator Jim Banks (R-Ind.) said, “From time to time, my office gets to help veterans obtain awards they earned but never received. I was honored to present a Purple Heart to a Fort Wayne veteran today who should have received it 17 years ago. Glad to have Fort Wayne Mayor Sharon Tucker join me in presenting this award to Dennis Piercy with his family.”
Background:
On October 2, 2008, then-SFC Piercy sustained a traumatic brain injury and concussion from an IED blast during a convoy escort mission in Iraq. He was evaluated at the Troop Medical Clinic and later diagnosed with TBI and service-connected hearing loss.
The U.S. Army Human Resources Command confirmed his eligibility for the Purple Heart and officially awarded him the medal on April 24, 2025.
