SOLDIER OF THE YEAR IS FROM GEORGIA
Captain Zachariah Fike, of Georgia, Vermont, has been a critical and fearless member of the Vermont Army National Guard for 17 years. Fike has been deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq and is also the founder of Purple Hearts Reunited. With all of Fike’s accomplishments, he has been awarded this year by being named by the Military Times as the 2016 Soldier of the Year.
As the founder of Purple Hearts Reunited, Fike works hard to bless soldiers and their families with returning Purple Hearts.
A Purple Heart is a small pin that is given to all people in the military that have been injured or killed in action.
In 2010, Fike was wounded in a rocket attack in Afghanistan. Shortly after this, Fike was given his own Purple Heart.
Fike’s mother gave him a Purple Heart that she found for Christmas in 2009, but Fike knew he could not just take what somebody else was so deserving of. It wasn’t until 2011 that Fike finally tracked down the family of the owner for the first Purple Heart he had. When he returned it, he was blessed as they showed their gratitude.
Fike began searching for Purple Hearts in antique shops when he returned from deployment. After investigating who the Purple Hearts belonged to, he realized his passion for returning them to their rightful owners or their families.
Fike created Purple Hearts Reunited in 2012. Purple Hearts Reunited’s mission is “to return lost or stolen military medals of valor to veterans or their families, in order to honor their sacrifice to the nation.”
So far, Purple Hearts Reunited has been able to reunite over 200 medals with their rightful owner or surviving family.
Because of Fike’s hard work and passion toward the Vermont Army National Guard, he has been very deserving of the 2016 Soldier of the Year award.
