Corker Statement on Navy Decision to Award Purple Hearts to Chattanooga Terror Attack Victims

U.S. Senator Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today applauded the announcement by Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus that the Department of the Navy will award the Purple Heart to the four Marines and one Sailor killed and the Marine injured during the July 16 terrorist attack in Chattanooga, Tenn. The decision followed an announcement by the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) that the killer was inspired by a foreign terror organization.

"The men we lost - and those who were wounded - on July 16 in the deadly terror attack in Chattanooga exemplify the very best that America has to offer, and I am pleased to learn they will be awarded the Purple Heart," said Corker. "Our commander-in-chief has classified the heartbreaking events that took place that day as an act of terror, and I have been pressing the FBI to provide answers to both the families of the fallen and our community. I appreciate the efforts of all involved as they work tirelessly to piece together this puzzle so we can better protect ourselves in the future. The threat of terrorism is not just something we see across our shores anymore; it's here in our homeland; it hit my hometown; and we must continue to show resolve in the fight against this evil."

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