Fourth Annual Northeast Indiana Defense Summit hands out a purple heart

FORT WAYNE, Ind. -- U.S. Army Specialist Robert Drudy was honored today in Fort Wayne, reviving a purple heart for his service.

In 2008, he was a part of Operation Iraqi freedom when his convoy was stuck by an IED. 

Today, his purple heart was presented to him by Indianapolis Senator Jim Banks and Fort Wayne Mayor Sharon Tucker. 

“It feels great. It’s closure,” Drudy said. “I don’t know if I’ll ever fully believe that I deserve the reward… I still have all my limbs and air in my lungs, but I’ll wear it humbly and accept it with dignity.”

The second day of the summit will be headlined by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. ABC57 will have a team live in Fort Wayne covering the event.