A Mitchell veteran was awarded the Purple Heart on Wednesday, almost a dozen years after he was injured. At a ceremony at the Mitchell VFW, Marcus Rothlisberger was honored. Rothlisberger was serving in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom when his position guarding a helicopter landing zone was rocked by mortar fire. After initially believing he was fine, he later realized he suffered a concussion. Traumatic brain injuries, or TBIs, are not always evident right away. PTSD, depression, and other symptoms come later. Representative Dusty Johnson worked to make sure Rothlisberger was honored with the Purple Heart, which is awarded to any member of the armed forces who is wounded or killed while serving in the military. Johnson was on hand yesterday to present the award to Rothlisberger. Rothlisberger dedicated his award to the six people in his unit who did not make it back home and to those who survived Afghanistan only to find challenges when they returned.