Valley soldier receives award from president

A Wasilla soldier who was seriously injured in Iraq received his Purple Heart from his commander in chief last week.

Sgt. Tyler Hall received his Purple Heart from President George W. Bush at Walter Reed Army Medical Hospital. Also attending the ceremony were First Lady Laura Bush and National Security Advisor Condoleeza Rice.

On Aug. 22, Hall was traveling with five others in the 4th Infantry Division's 555th Engineer Group, 14th Engineering Battalion when a small remote bomb detonated beneath his vehicle, blowing apart the truck.

Hall received the most damage -- major head trauma, which left him in a coma for a month; a broken back, a punctured lung; a broken left upper arm; fractured bones in his face; and nine missing teeth.

Also, a bone was broken in more than 100 places in his lower left leg, which had to be amputated.

He returned to the Valley for 30 days around Christmas, and now he's back at Walter Reed for therapy and more evaluations.

In December, he said he wanted his Purple Heart from his "boss," the president. Other members of his unit received their Purple Hearts from their commanders, but Hall waited until the president awarded him his.

Hall and his family had told Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Ted Stevens and Rep. Don Young about his wishes, which finally came true.