"He has made a difference:" Milwaukee veteran receives Purple Heart

MILWAUKEE -- 12 years after his service, a Milwaukee veteran is receiving the recognition he deserves.

Marine Sgt. Kyle Courtier was presented with the Purple Heart for injuries he sustained in Fallujah, Iraq in 2004.

The presentation ceremony took place along the Milwaukee's lakefront -- at the Marine Corps Reserve. It was attended by some of Courtier's former team members. One of them praised Courtier in this way.

"President Ronald Reagan once said, some people go through their entire life wondering if they made a difference in the world. But Marines do not have that problem -- and Kyle is one of those marines does not have that problem because he has made a difference," said Retired Sgt. Major Carlton Kent, U.S. Marine Corps.

Courtier was a member of a 23-person security detail for the commanding general of the Marines Expeditionary Force.