National Guard Families Present as Andrew Wolfe Receives Purple Heart at State of the Union
At the State of the Union on February 25, 2026, President Trump presented military awards that included a Purple Heart given to Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe and a posthumous Purple Heart for Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom. The ceremony spotlighted the November ambush in Washington, D. C., and the ongoing legal and medical developments tied to the attack.
West Virginia National Guard
Both Wolfe and Beckstrom were serving with the West Virginia National Guard when they were ambushed and shot while on patrol in Washington, D. C., near the White House in November. Beckstrom, 20, died in the shooting; Wolfe, 24, was critically injured but survived. The ambush occurred just before 2: 15 p. m. on Nov. 26 near the intersection of 17th Street and I Street NW, less than a day after Wolfe had been deputized to continue his patrols, following his entry into service in 2019.
Andrew Wolfe and Sarah Beckstrom
Wolfe was bedside in hospital care in the weeks after the attack and was still hospitalized in December, West Virginia Governor Patrick Morissey reported. On Dec. 12, 2025, the West Virginia National Guard announced that Wolfe was breathing on his own and could stand with assistance, calling those milestones "important milestones that reflect his strength and determination. " He was later transferred to a rehabilitation facility; his family chose not to disclose its location and it is unclear in the provided context exactly when he was released.
At the State of the Union, Wolfe and Beckstrom's families were in the House Chamber and were recognized by the president. Wolfe's mother, Melody, attended and was acknowledged when the medal was presented.
Major General James D. Seward Presents Purple Heart
President Trump had Major General James D. Seward of the West Virginia National Guard present Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe with the Purple Heart in the House Chamber; the medal was pinned to Wolfe's lapel. Beckstrom's family received a posthumous Purple Heart on her behalf. The Purple Heart honors military members who are wounded or killed in the line of duty.
Legal case against Rahmanullah Lakanwal
Officials arrested Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national, at the scene after another National Guard member fired at the suspect and another tackled him while he attempted to reload. Lakanwal was originally charged under D. C. criminal law with first-degree murder, assault with intent to kill while armed and assault with intent to kill. The U. S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, Jeanine Pirro, also filed federal charges; Lakanwal has pleaded not guilty earlier this month to those federal counts.
Court documents list two federal charges: transporting or receiving firearms in interstate or foreign commerce with the intent to commit an offense, and transporting or shipping a stolen firearm in interstate or foreign commerce.
Other Honors: Medal of Honor and Presidential Medal of Freedom
The State of the Union also recognized other service members and a U. S. Olympic athlete. Navy Captain E. Royce Williams, age 100, received the Medal of Honor for actions during a secret aerial confrontation in the Korean War. In 1952, Williams shot down four Soviet MiG-15 jets during a 35-minute dogfight with seven Soviet jets while flying off the coast of the Korean Peninsula, a confrontation described as one of the longest aerial engagements in U. S. Navy history. First Lady Melania Trump presented Williams with the award and he received a several-minute standing ovation.
Chief Warrant Officer Eric Slover, who was wounded during the operation in Venezuela that resulted in the capture of former President Nicolás Maduro, was also presented with the Medal of Honor. The president said Slover was the pilot of the first Chinook helicopter that descended on Maduro's military compound in the middle of the night and that Slover was "hit very badly in the leg and hip" while preparing to land; further detail about his injuries is unclear in the provided context.
Connor Hellebuyck, goalie for the U. S. men's hockey team, was named to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The president credited Hellebuyck's goalkeeping with helping the United States defeat Canada 2-1 in the gold-medal game on Sunday at the Winter Olympics, giving the United States its first men's hockey gold since the 1980 "Miracle on Ice" team. Hellebuyck and his teammates met the president at the White House earlier Tuesday and later received a standing ovation from lawmakers in the chamber.
The timing matters because the awards session folded together individual recovery updates, ongoing criminal proceedings against an Afghan national, and a broader celebratory slate of honors into a single high-profile address on Feb. 25, 2026, underscoring how a local attack became a national moment during the State of the Union.
