On Friday, Spc. Danny Segui, a gunner assigned to the 3rdInfantry Division's 1-64 Armor Battalion, received a Purple Heart for wounds he suffered during his tour in Iraq last November.
Segui was on a mounted patrol when a car bomb detonated in front of the Humvee he rode in. His platoon was able to push the destroyed vehicle through the kill zone and get him to safety.
Segui sustained wounds to his head and left upper arm.
Fort Stewart's commander, Maj. Gen. Anthony Cucolo, and U.S. Congressman John Barrow, D-Ga., attended a ceremony at Fort Stewart's Marne Garden. Both pinned Segui with the honor.
Barrow said heroes don't always receive the awards they deserve, but when they deserve them, they serve as a platform for what it means to be a true leader.
"We could not find any better example to reach out to your buddies than to follow your example," Barrow told Segui.
Segui has received numerous other service awards, including the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, the Operation Iraqi Freedom Service Medal, the Global War Terrorism Service Medal and the Combat Infantryman's Badge.
The Purple Heart is the oldest military combat decoration in the world. It is awarded to service members who are wounded in combat.