National Guardsman Andrew Wolfe honored with Purple Heart at State of the Union
President Trump honored service members and an Olympic athlete during a national State of the Union address Tuesday night, presenting Purple Hearts, the Medal of Honor and the Presidential Medal of Freedom and recognizing wounded and killed Guardsmen from a November ambush in Washington, D. C.
National Guardsman awarded Purple Heart in the House Chamber
Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, who was critically injured in a November shooting near the White House, received the Purple Heart in the House Chamber while his family looked on. The award was presented by Major General James D. Seward of the West Virginia National Guard and was pinned to Wolfe’s lapel during the address. The president said, "With God's help, Andrew has battled back from the edge of death. " The president also recognized Wolfe’s mother, Melody, during the annual address.
How the ambush unfolded in downtown Washington
The shooting happened just before 2: 15 p. m. on Nov. 26 near the intersection of 17th Street and I Street NW, when Wolfe and several other Guardsmen were on patrol. Another National Guard member returned fire and hit the suspect; while the suspect was on the ground and trying to reload, a second Guardsman tackled him. Officials arrested Rahmanullah Lakanwal at the scene.
Sarah Beckstrom’s family receives a posthumous Purple Heart
Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, 20, who was shot and killed in the ambush, was honored posthumously. The president described that Beckstrom had voluntarily extended her deployment and said, "After a four-month deployment, she voluntarily extended her service and her rank was going to be lifted... But the very next day, she was on patrol near the White House when she was ambushed and shot in the head by a terrorist monster from Afghanistan. Shouldn't have been in our country. And all because she wore the uniform of our nation, she was shot. " Beckstrom’s family attended Tuesday night and were recognized on the House floor.
Other awards at the State of the Union and a historic aerial citation
The president also presented other high honors. Connor Hellebuyck, the U. S. men’s hockey goalie whose performance helped the United States defeat Canada 2-1 in the Winter Olympics gold-medal game on Sunday, was named for the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Hellebuyck and his teammates met with the president at the White House earlier Tuesday before attending the address and received a roaring ovation from lawmakers; Mr. Trump said, "I've never seen a goalie play as well as Connor Hellebuyck. " Navy Capt. E. Royce Williams, age 100, received the Medal of Honor for actions in 1952 during the Korean War after a 35-minute dogfight off the coast of the Korean Peninsula in which he shot down four Soviet MiG-15 jets during an engagement with seven Soviet jets. Williams received a several-minute standing ovation as first lady Melania Trump presented the award.
Medal of Honor for a pilot wounded in Venezuela raid
Chief Warrant Officer Eric Slover received the Medal of Honor for wounds suffered during an operation in Venezuela that resulted in the capture of former President Nicolás Maduro. The president said Slover piloted the first Chinook helicopter to descend on Maduro's military compound in the middle of the night and was "hit very badly in the leg and hip" while preparing to land. Yet, despite the fact that the use of
Charges against the suspect and Wolfe’s recovery milestones
Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national arrested at the scene, faces local D. C. charges including first-degree murder, assault with intent to kill while armed and assault with intent to kill under the District’s criminal code. Federal charges were also filed by the U. S. Attorney for D. C., Jeanine Pirro, and court documents list two federal counts: 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. Lakanwal pleaded not guilty earlier this month to federal charges.
Wolfe entered service in 2019, the West Virginia National Guard said in a press release, and was serving under a federal deployment that placed the D. C. police force under federal control and brought thousands of guardsmen to the city. He was shot less than a day after being deputized to continue his patrols and was taken to the hospital in serious condition. West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morissey said Wolfe was still in the hospital in December, and on Dec. 12, 2025 the West Virginia National Guard announced he was breathing on his own and could stand with assistance. Wolfe was later transferred to a rehabilitation facility; his family chose not to disclose the location, and it is unclear exactly when he was released.
The national spotlight on the State of the Union brought the awards and the ambush back into public view; legal filings show Lakanwal faces both local and federal charges, and the timeline for his next court proceedings is unclear in the provided context.
