VFW Honors One Of Its Own
Post 3783 Welcomes Back Veteran of Iraq War

Captain Dawn Halfaker, second from left, with her family. Photo by Jim Evans

By Jim Evans

Hundreds of local veterans, relatives and friends gathered on Tuesday, Dec. 21 at VFW Post 3783 in Ramona to honor Captain Dawn Halfaker, who was visiting her family during the holidays after recovering from wounds suffered during her recent tour of duty in Iraq.

Captain Halfaker, 24, and another member of the Army’s 293rd Military Police were critically wounded on June 18 when their Humvee was struck by a rocket-propelled grenade. Each lost an arm and suffered other serious injuries.

Halfaker was in a coma for several days after she was evacuated to Walter Reed Medical Center in the United States for medical care and is continuing to undergo physical and occupational therapy in Washington, D.C. She was awarded the Purple Heart on July 14.

Halfaker is a 2001 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and was a star basketball player at Rancho Bernardo High School.

During her recent leave, she spent two days a week working in the office of Congressman Duncan Hunter and attended her brother Dale’s graduation from the University of Arizona before returning to duty on Dec. 29. Captain Halfaker is the daughter of Stephen and Connie Halfaker of Ramona.