Eddie Abbey

Eddie Abbey enlisted in the U.S. Army and served his nation for more than 25 years, first from May 1970 through August 1986, then again from January 1994 through February 2006.

During the later half of his service career, Abbey was deployed as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom II and III. On February 21, 2005, Abbey was wounded by shrapnel from an IED on Main Supply Route (MSR) Tampa just outside Samarra, Iraq. At the time, he was in command of a tactical movement team escorting a team of engineers to assess damage done by a previous IED on the MSR, when Abbey team was ambushed.

Along with his Purple Heart, he was awarded numerous medals and commendations during his service, including the Bronze Star Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal and more.

Abbey continues to help his fellow veterans as a life member of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, Disabled Veterans of America, American Legion and Association of the United States Army.

In 2021, Abbey was North Carolina’s honoree during the Purple Heart Patriot Project Misison.