Wounded in Iraq, Leading the Purple Heart | Frances Figueroa-Lowe
How a U.S. Army veteran found her footing after service and went from local chapter volunteer to National Commander.
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RadioPublic Frances Figueroa-Lowe signed up for the Army after a chance encounter with a recruiter in Queens. Years later, after being wounded in a mortar attack in Iraq, she signed up for something else she never expected to lead: her local chapter of the Military Order of the Purple Heart.
In the Veterans Week 2026 kickoff on The MisFitNation, Frances joins Rich LaMonica to trace the steps between those two decisions. She talks about deploying with the 118th Military Police Company during Operation Iraqi Freedom, building a career in human resources after leaving the Army, and finding a new way to serve through veteran advocacy.
Now the National Commander of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, Frances shares what a local chapter can do for veterans and military families, what it takes to walk into that first meeting, and why seeing women veterans in leadership can make it easier for others to step forward.
Follow The MisFitNation for the rest of our Veterans Week interviews.
Learn more about the Military Order of the Purple Heart and find a local chapter at https://www.purpleheart.org.
Watch the interview on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@The_MisFitNation
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