Major Brent Taylor and Colonel Thomas (Thom) A. Rodgers, U.S. Army (Ret.), are among over 2 million recipients of the Purple Heart, awarded to service members wounded or killed by enemy action.

“It’s an award no one really wants to receive,” Thom shared. “Anyone who receives it shed blood for our country. It’s an award I’m extremely proud to have received.”

Rodgers received his Purple Heart after being wounded in Vietnam in February 1971 while serving as an Infantry Company Commander in the 101st Airborne Division. A year and a half earlier, his battalion, the 3/187th, had fought in the ten-day battle known as Hamburger Hill.

When asked about his medal, Thom humbly said, “I zigged when I should have zagged,” downplaying his heroism.

Thom, from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, attended Duquesne University, studying Political Science. He joined the Army in 1965 and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in 1967.

He completed his degree at St. Martin’s University in Washington state, then took a five-year break from the military to work as a police officer in Richland Township, PA, where he met his wife of 47 years, Carol. They have three children and four grandchildren. He also earned an MPA from the University of Pittsburgh during the “break.”

In 1975, Thom joined the Army Reserves and went back to active duty in 1979. His last assignment was as Deputy Commander at the Defense Depot Ogden, retiring in 1992. He then worked as a civilian contractor at Hill Air Force Base until 2013.

In 2004, Thom became the first State Commander for the Military Order of the Purple Heart in Utah, serving as the liaison between the national headquarters and the Utah Department, helping organize chapters statewide.

Fifteen years ago, Thom was ordained a Deacon in the Catholic Church. He provides counseling, performs baptisms and marriages, assists in religious services, and offers religious instruction for church members. Thom and Carol reside in West Point, where Thom enjoys golfing, fishing, and volunteering as a safety officer at the Weber County Sportsmen Shooting Complex.