CHARLESTON, W.Va. — It was just coincidence that inauguration day for Secretary of State Mac Warner also included recognition of his son, Retired Army Captain Steven Warner.
In a pinning ceremony Monday, surrounded by his closest family and some elected officials, Capt. Warner received the Purple Heart.
“It’s more of a tribute to the guys that I was able to serve with. Out of my platoon of 35, about ten of us received them. All of us were able to make it home, though,” explained a humble Warner.
The Purple Heart is given to members of the U.S. armed forces who are wounded or die in an act of war.
“It’s more of a testament to those who couldn’t be with us here today – several friends and mentors – that were killed in Afghanistan or Iraq. Hopefully by wearing this, I can preserve their legacy a little bit.”
On April 22, 2010, Capt. Warner was leading a platoon of 35 combat engineers responsible for route clearance.
“We were clearing a route. An IED detonated underneath my vehicle,” Warner recalled. “My driver suffered multiple contusions and torn muscles. The gunner suffered a broken collar bone. The passenger in the vehicle suffered a broken back. Me and one other passenger suffered traumatic brain injuries.”
According to the University High School graduate, soldiers normally receive the medal and paperwork that goes with it during the deployment.
“Due to the circumstances in our operations, I was never actually able to receive the physical medal. Congressman McKinley got wind of that several months ago and said we need to fix that.”
The timing coincided with his father’s first day in office as the West Virginia Secretary of State.
“It just so happened, they were able to secure it over the last couple of weeks. We figured with everyone here in Charleston, it’d be a great time to both present it and have the whole family together. It just so happened to be on inauguration day.”
The 30-year-old said he grew up as an Army brat traveling with his father’s military career from Germany to Georgia over the years but always knew West Virginia was home.