Former Army Spec. Antoinette Scott of the D.C. National Guard on Wednesday received from the city government certification that she is the first D.C. woman to be awarded the Purple Heart for service in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
D.C. Council members Anita Bonds and Mary Cheh presented Ms. Scott with a certificate Wednesday at City Hall.
According to a biography on the D.C. Office of Veterans Affairs website, Spec. Scott was transporting soldiers to Baghdad airport in a five-ton truck when it struck a roadside bomb in November 2003. Shrapnel ripped through the left side of her face, broke her jaw and severed a blood vessel to her brain. She kept driving and delivered the soldiers before seeking medical treatment.
“There was no time to think. I just knew I had to move, and move fast,” she said. “I was making sure I had my weapon close and that it wasn’t on safety, plus trying to do a head count to make sure everyone was OK. That’s when I realized I was bleeding.”
Ms. Scott, who suffered a traumatic brain injury in the explosion, received the Purple Heart in 2005. She said it took so long because the Army had to do a thorough investigation to make sure all claims for the medal were true.
Formerly a nurse, Ms. Scott now works as a financial analyst.
• Ryan M. McDermott can be reached at rmcdermott@washingtontimes.com.
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