Migration News
Two hit in Kuwait attack awarded civilian medal
November 6, 2004
Tessa Pouliot, second from left, reaches past her mother, Carol, to David Caraway during a ceremony at Panzer Casern in Kaiserslautern, Germany, on Friday. Caraway and Tessa’s father, Mike, were awarded the Defense of Freedom Medal. Pouliot was killed and Caraway wounded in a terrorist attack in Kuwait in late January 2003. (Michael Abrams / S&S)
Two military contractors, who were attacked in Kuwait two months before the war in Iraq began, were awarded the civilian equivalent of the Purple Heart at a ceremony Friday in Vogelweh, Germany.
David Caraway and Mike Pouliot were working in Kuwait City for Tapestry Solutions Inc., a computer software firm, when their vehicle was ambushed a few miles from Camp Doha.
Pouliot, vice president of the firm, was killed in the attack. Caraway was shot six times in the arm, chest and leg, but survived.
Maj. Bennie Williams, commander of the 21st Theater Support Command, presented the Defense of Freedom Medals to Caraway and to Pouliot’s family at a 3p.m. ceremony.
The medal was created to honor Pentagon employees who were killed or injured during the Sept. 11 attacks, according to a 21st TSC news release. The medal may be awarded to non-Defense employees, to include contractors, based on their involvement with DOD activities, the release stated.
The ceremony was held in Germany because “even though they were killed or wounded in Kuwait, Tapestry has a very close relationship with the 21st TSC,” said Jim Kramer, a TSC director.