Minnesota soldier killed at Fort Hood awarded Purple Heart

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - A Minnesota solider who died in the 2009 Fort Hood shooting has been posthumously awarded with a Purple Heart.

Private First Class Kham Xiong (shong) of North St. Paul was among 13 people killed at the Texas military base in November 2009. The 23-year-old was preparing to deploy to Afghanistan.

The Purple Heart was accepted Thursday by Xiong’s wife, Shoua Her, with his three children also on hand at a Hmong American Day celebration in St. Paul.

Xiong’s military uniform is on display at the Minnesota History Center in St. Paul as part of the “We Are Hmong Minnesota” exhibit.