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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Five Utah Army National Guard soldiers injured by roadside bombs in Iraq received the Purple Heart Award.
Officials say the members of 116th Engineer Company are due back in Utah within weeks and will get a homecoming.
In Iraq, an Army battalion commander conferred the awards in recent weeks on Staff Sgts. Gordon Shute of Orem and Justin Olson of Clearfield; Cpl.Wesley Gale of Richfield; and Spcs. Brian Jenkins of Ephraim and Zachary Rinck of Taylorsville.
Each of the men survived attacks on Army convoys during August in northern Iraq.
The 116th Engineer Company provides critical logistical support for other troops over an area the size of Pennsylvania and has logged a total of 267,903 miles since being deployed in Iraq.
The Purple Heart is the nation's longest-running honor given to those who die or are wounded in battle. The medal shows the profile of Gen. George Washington when he was commander in chief of the Continental Army.
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
