Military child in San Antonio whose mother died in a 2016 terrorist attack wins national award [Video]

SAN ANTONIO — A local military child who persevered through tough times including losing her mother during a terrorist attack while abroad in 2016 is awarded a recipient of the 2024 Military Child of the Year Award, according to a press release. 

The 16-year-old, Noelani Martinez, is a junior from Brennan High School and is the youngest recipient out of seven students awarded across the country by Operation Homefront. The award goes to students who have made an impact on their military families, schools and communities.

Noelani’s father is a Purple Heart recipient who retired from the Air Force in 2021 and her mother tragically died during a terrorist attack at the Brussels airport in 2016, according to the release. The attack left Noelani, father and three …