Utah man awarded Purple Heart for Afghanistan wounds

Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune
The certificate issued with Spc. Jose "Joe" Artalejo's Purple Heart. Artalejo, of the 118th Engineer (Sapper) Company, Utah Army National Guard, received the Purple Heart in a ceremony Saturday, Jan. 25, 2014, at Camp Williams. Artalejo, of Pleasant Grove, qualified for the Purple Heart due to wounds he received during an improvised-explosive-device incident on Dec. 24, 2010, in Khowst Province, Afghanistan.

Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune
Spc. Jose "Joe" Artalejo, speaks with Sgt. Jake Vallen after the presentation of the Purple Heart. Vallen and Artalejo were deployed together in Afghanistan. Artalejo, of the 118th Engineer (Sapper) Company, Utah Army National Guard, received the Purple Heart in a ceremony Saturday, Jan. 25, 2014, at Camp Williams. Artalejo, of Pleasant Grove, qualified for the Purple Heart due to wounds he received during an improvised-explosive-device incident on Dec. 24, 2010, in Khowst Province, Afghanistan.

Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune
Spc. Jose "Joe" Artalejo's sister, Sgt. Somaya Andreason, makes a photo of her brother after his medal presentation. Artalejo, of the 118th Engineer (Sapper) Company, Utah Army National Guard, received the Purple Heart in a ceremony Saturday, Jan. 25, 2014, at Camp Williams. Artalejo, of Pleasant Grove, qualified for the Purple Heart due to wounds he received during an improvised-explosive-device incident on Dec. 24, 2010, in Khowst Province, Afghanistan.

Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune
Spc. Jose "Joe" Artalejo, gets a hg from his sister, Somaya Andreason after he was awarded the Purple Heart Saturday, Jan. 25, 2014, at Camp Williams. Artalejo, now a civilian. but formerly of the 118th Engineer (Sapper) Company, Utah Army National Guard, received the Purple Heart due to wounds he received during an improvised-explosive-device incident on Dec. 24, 2010, in Khowst Province, Afghanistan.

Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune
Spc. Jose "Joe" Artalejo, right, formerly of the 118th Engineer (Sapper) Company, Utah Army National Guard, is applauded by Major General Jefferson S. Burton, center after he received the Purple Heart in a ceremony Saturday, Jan. 25, 2014, at Camp Williams. Artalejo, of Pleasant Grove, qualified for the Purple Heart due to wounds he received during an improvised-explosive-device incident on Dec. 24, 2010, in Khowst Province, Afghanistan.

Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune
Spc. Jose "Joe" Artalejo's father, who also goes by Joe, makes a photo of his son after the medal presentation. Artalejo, of the 118th Engineer (Sapper) Company, Utah Army National Guard, received the Purple Heart in a ceremony Saturday, Jan. 25, 2014, at Camp Williams. Artalejo, of Pleasant Grove, qualified for the Purple Heart due to wounds he received during an improvised-explosive-device incident on Dec. 24, 2010, in Khowst Province, Afghanistan.

Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune
Spc. Jose "Joe" Artalejo, holds his Purple Heart after it was presented Saturday, Jan. 25, 2014, at Camp Williams. Artalejo, formerly of the 118th Engineer (Sapper) Company, Utah Army National Guard, received the Purple Heart in a ceremony Saturday, Jan. 25, 2014, at Camp Williams. Artalejo, of Pleasant Grove, qualified for the Purple Heart due to wounds he received during an improvised-explosive-device incident on Dec. 24, 2010, in Khowst Province, Afghanistan.

Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune
Spc. Jose "Joe" Artalejo, gets a hug from Sgt. Jake Vallen after the presentation of the Purple Heart. Vallen and Artalejo were deployed together in Afghanistan. Artalejo, of the 118th Engineer (Sapper) Company, Utah Army National Guard, received the Purple Heart in a ceremony Saturday, Jan. 25, 2014, at Camp Williams. Artalejo, of Pleasant Grove, qualified for the Purple Heart due to wounds he received during an improvised-explosive-device incident on Dec. 24, 2010, in Khowst Province, Afghanistan.

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Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune The certificate issued with Spc. Jose "Joe" Artalejo's Purple Heart. Artalejo, of the 118th Engineer (Sapper) Company, Utah Army National Guard, received the Purple Heart in a ceremony Saturday, Jan. 25, 2014, at Camp Williams. Artalejo, of Pleasant Grove, qualified for the Purple Heart due to wounds he received during an improvised-explosive-device incident on Dec. 24, 2010, in Khowst Province, Afghanistan. Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune Spc. Jose "Joe" Artalejo, speaks with Sgt. Jake Vallen after the presentation of the Purple Heart. Vallen and Artalejo were deployed together in Afghanistan. Artalejo, of the 118th Engineer (Sapper) Company, Utah Army National Guard, received the Purple Heart in a ceremony Saturday, Jan. 25, 2014, at Camp Williams. Artalejo, of Pleasant Grove, qualified for the Purple Heart due to wounds he received during an improvised-explosive-device incident on Dec. 24, 2010, in Khowst Province, Afghanistan. Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune Spc. Jose "Joe" Artalejo's sister, Sgt. Somaya Andreason, makes a photo of her brother after his medal presentation. Artalejo, of the 118th Engineer (Sapper) Company, Utah Army National Guard, received the Purple Heart in a ceremony Saturday, Jan. 25, 2014, at Camp Williams. Artalejo, of Pleasant Grove, qualified for the Purple Heart due to wounds he received during an improvised-explosive-device incident on Dec. 24, 2010, in Khowst Province, Afghanistan. Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune Spc. Jose "Joe" Artalejo, gets a hg from his sister, Somaya Andreason after he was awarded the Purple Heart Saturday, Jan. 25, 2014, at Camp Williams. Artalejo, now a civilian. but formerly of the 118th Engineer (Sapper) Company, Utah Army National Guard, received the Purple Heart due to wounds he received during an improvised-explosive-device incident on Dec. 24, 2010, in Khowst Province, Afghanistan. Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune Spc. Jose "Joe" Artalejo, right, formerly of the 118th Engineer (Sapper) Company, Utah Army National Guard, is applauded by Major General Jefferson S. Burton, center after he received the Purple Heart in a ceremony Saturday, Jan. 25, 2014, at Camp Williams. Artalejo, of Pleasant Grove, qualified for the Purple Heart due to wounds he received during an improvised-explosive-device incident on Dec. 24, 2010, in Khowst Province, Afghanistan. Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune Spc. Jose "Joe" Artalejo's father, who also goes by Joe, makes a photo of his son after the medal presentation. Artalejo, of the 118th Engineer (Sapper) Company, Utah Army National Guard, received the Purple Heart in a ceremony Saturday, Jan. 25, 2014, at Camp Williams. Artalejo, of Pleasant Grove, qualified for the Purple Heart due to wounds he received during an improvised-explosive-device incident on Dec. 24, 2010, in Khowst Province, Afghanistan. Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune Spc. Jose "Joe" Artalejo, holds his Purple Heart after it was presented Saturday, Jan. 25, 2014, at Camp Williams. Artalejo, formerly of the 118th Engineer (Sapper) Company, Utah Army National Guard, received the Purple Heart in a ceremony Saturday, Jan. 25, 2014, at Camp Williams. Artalejo, of Pleasant Grove, qualified for the Purple Heart due to wounds he received during an improvised-explosive-device incident on Dec. 24, 2010, in Khowst Province, Afghanistan. Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune Spc. Jose "Joe" Artalejo, gets a hug from Sgt. Jake Vallen after the presentation of the Purple Heart. Vallen and Artalejo were deployed together in Afghanistan. Artalejo, of the 118th Engineer (Sapper) Company, Utah Army National Guard, received the Purple Heart in a ceremony Saturday, Jan. 25, 2014, at Camp Williams. Artalejo, of Pleasant Grove, qualified for the Purple Heart due to wounds he received during an improvised-explosive-device incident on Dec. 24, 2010, in Khowst Province, Afghanistan.

The Salt Lake Tribune

· January 26, 2014 2:01 pm

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

A Pleasant Grove man received the Purple Heart medal in a ceremony Saturday at Camp Williams.

Spc. Joey Artalejo, of the 118th Engineer (Sapper) Company, Utah Army National Guard, was wounded by an improvised-explosive device that struck his armored vehicle while he was on a route-clearing mission in Khowst Province, Afghanistan, Dec. 24, 2010.

After a 10-day hospitalization, he returned to duty in Afghanistan and completed his deployment with the 118th, returning to Utah in July 2011. He is still experiencing the effects of the traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder that resulted from the incident, according to a Guard news release.

Artalejo, who works at Kennecott Copper in Bingham Canyon, was actually wounded twice by IED's, the first incidence occurring in September 2010. He incurred similar injuries in that attack.

For more information on the 118th's mission, go to http://bit.ly/LZFRHW.