CHARLESTON — Gov. Patrick Morrisey said his office has formally requested Purple Heart medals for two West Virginia National Guard members who were shot while on duty in Washington, D.C.
Morrisey said the requests were made for Army National Guard member Sarah Beckstrom, who was killed in the shooting, and Air National Guard member Andrew Wolfe, who was seriously wounded and continues to recover.
“I want the families of Sarah Beckstrom and Andy Wolfe to know that West Virginia stands with you,” Morrisey said at a news conference. “I couldn’t think of two more deserving service members for this award.”
Beckstrom, 20, died on Thanksgiving Day after being shot Nov. 26 while on duty. Wolfe, 24, was wounded in the same incident and has been hospitalized since. Morrisey said Beckstrom would receive the Purple Heart posthumously.
“She made the ultimate sacrifice defending the freedoms we all hold dear,” the governor said.
Morrisey said his office has also requested a Purple Heart for Wolfe. “He’s fought for his life for weeks,” he said.
Beckstrom, of Summersville, was assigned to the 863rd Military Police Company, 111th Engineer Brigade, West Virginia Army National Guard. She entered military service on June 26, 2023. Wolfe, of Martinsburg, was assigned to the Force Support Squadron, 167th Airlift Wing, West Virginia Air National Guard, and entered service on Feb. 5, 2019.
The two were on duty near the Farragut West public transportation hub at 17th and I streets NW when the shooting occurred. Authorities have said the suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, approached the guardsmen, raised a firearm and opened fire. He has been charged with murder.
“Sarah and Andrew’s actions that day meet the highest and clearest standards of the Purple Heart,” Morrisey said, noting the award recognizes service members wounded or killed in action against an enemy or during a hostile or terrorist act.
The guardsmen were deployed to Washington following an August declaration of a “crime emergency” by President Donald Trump. Morrisey sent 300 to 400 members of the West Virginia National Guard to support public safety efforts in the District of Columbia.
Although the federal emergency declaration expired in September, the National Guard mission continued. In November, the Guard announced the deployment would be scaled back, with about 160 volunteers approved to remain in the district. Both Beckstrom and Wolfe had been serving on task force orders since the start of the mission, according to the Guard.
The Purple Heart was established in 1782, and more than 1.8 million medals have been awarded, according to the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor. The nomination process is typically initiated by a commanding officer or medical staff and reviewed through the chain of command.
