On January 28, 2024, a drone attack carried out by an Iranian-backed militia struck Tower 22, a U.S. military outpost situated along the Jordan-Syria border. The surprise assault resulted in the tragic deaths of three U.S. Army Reserve Soldiers and left over 50 others wounded. Among those affected were 14 soldiers from C Company of the New York Army National Guard’s 101st Expeditionary Signal Battalion—based in Yonkers and Orangeburg.
One of those soldiers is Sgt. Guillermo Renderos, a proud Yonkers resident and 2012 graduate of Gorton High School. A product of the Yonkers Public School system, Sgt. Renderos began his academic journey at Eugenio Maria de Hostos, continued through Commerce Middle School (now the Barack Obama School for Social Justice).
On Saturday, May 10, 2025, Sgt. Renderos was honored with the Purple Heart for the injuries he sustained during the Tower 22 attack. A son of Salvadoran immigrants, Sgt. Renderos will receive this honor surrounded by his wife, children, mother, siblings, and nieces and nephews, reflecting his role as a devoted husband, father, brother, and uncle—as well as a symbol of strength within both his family and his community.
The attack at Tower 22 struck the area of the base where soldiers lived. Though wounded, Sgt. Renderos and his fellow Charlie Company soldiers acted immediately. Those able worked to restore critical communications with the outside world, while others, including combat lifesavers, administered aid to the injured—often while suffering injuries of their own. Those who remained unscathed lined up to donate blood for their wounded comrades.
“The Purple Heart is not an award to be celebrated. Rather, it is a reminder of an event that we witnessed—a date that goes down in history written in blood… It is a reminder of the bravery and sacrifice that my team of incredible Soldiers displayed that day and throughout our deployment to Tower 22.” said 1st Lt. Ian Gallagher, the platoon leader of the group.
