MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A Korean War veteran from Minnesota who still carries shrapnel in his leg from when he was wounded in combat will finally get his Purple Heart medal, 73 years late.
The U.S. Army notified Earl Meyer, 96, of St. Peter, on Monday that it has reversed itself and granted him a Purple Heart, which honors service members wounded or killed in combat.
kAm%96 564:D:@? 42>6 27E6C 2 42>A2:8? 3J 9:D 52F89E6CD 2?5 2EE@C?6J] &]$] $6?] p>J z=@3F492C @7 |:??6D@E2 492>A:@?65 9:D 42FD6] %96 pC>J’D E@A ?@?4@>>:DD:@?65 @77:46C — E96 D6C862?E >2;@C @7 E96 2C>J — E@@< 2? :?E6C6DE :? E96 42D6 27E6C :E 925 366? C6;64E65 7@C J62CD 5F6 E@ 2 =24< @7 A2A6CH@C<] &]$] s:DEC:4E yF586 y@9? %F?96:> E9:D J62C @C56C65 2? pC>J C6G:6H 3@2C5 E@ E2<6 2?@E96C =@@<]k^Am
kAm%96 pC>J D6?E |6J6C’D 2EE@C?6J 2 DE24< @7 5@4F>6?ED |@?52J E@ ?@E:7J E96> @7 E96 564:D:@?[ :?4=F5:?8 2 46CE:7:42E6 :? 4@=@C D2J:?8 :E H2D “7@C H@F?5D C646:G65 :? 24E:@? @? yF?6 `hd` :? z@C62]â€k^Am
kAm“$6G6?EJ\E9C66 J62CD[ J629] %92E’D 2 =@?8 E:>6 2== C:89E] ]]] x 5:5?’E E9:?< E96J H@F=5 8@ 7@C :E[†|6J6C D2:5 :? 2? :?E6CG:6H %F6D52J]k^Am
kAm|6J6C’D 42D6 9:89=:89ED 9@H :E 42? 36 2 DECF88=6 7@C H@F?565 G6E6C2?D E@ 86E >652=D E96J’G6 62C?65 H96? E96 7@8 @7 H2C[ E96 23D6?46 @7 C64@C5D 2?5 E96 A2DD286 @7 E:>6 >2<6 :E 492==6?8:?8 E@ AC@5F46 AC@@7]k^Am
kAm“t2C= |6J6C AFE 9:D =:76 @? E96 =:?6 :? 5676?D6 @7 @FC 7C665@>D[ 2?5 H6 2C6 7@C6G6C :?563E65 E@ 9:> 7@C 9:D D6CG:46[†z=@3F492C D2:5 :? 2 DE2E6>6?E] “t2C= 62C?65 E9:D !FCA=6 w62CE[ 2?5 x 2> D@ 8=25 E92E H6 H6C6 23=6 E@ H@C< H:E9 9:D 72>:=J 2?5 E96 pC>J E@ 86E 9:> E96 C64@8?:E:@? 96 56D6CG6D]â€k^Am
kAmx? |6J6C’D 42D6[ 76H >6? :? 9:D F?:E H9@ H@F=5 92G6 H:E?6DD65 E96 >@CE2C 2EE24< DFCG:G65] ~?=J 2 76H >6>36CD @7 9:D A=2E@@? >256 :E @FE F?92C>65] w6 5:5?’E 6G6? C62=:K6 2E 7:CDE E92E 96 925 366? H@F?565] w6 E9:?<D E96 >65:4 H9@ 6G6?EF2==J EC62E65 9:> @? E96 32EE=67:6=5 H2D <:==65 367@C6 96 4@F=5 7:=6 E96 A2A6CH@C<] p?5 96 H2D?’E E9:?<:?8 E96? 23@FE 2 >652= 2?JH2J — 96 H2D ;FDE ECJ:?8 E@ DFCG:G6]k^Am
kAm|6J6C 7:?:D965 @FE 9:D E@FC 8F2C5:?8 AC:D@?6CD @7 H2C] w6 H2D 9@?@C23=J 5:D492C865 :? `hda] %96 564@C2E:@?D 96 C646:G65 62C=:6C :?4=F565 E96 r@>32E x?72?ECJ>2? q2586[ H9:49 :D C6D6CG65 7@C E9@D6 H9@ 24E:G6=J A2CE:4:A2E6 :? 8C@F?5 4@>32E F?56C 6?6>J 7:C6[ 2?5 E96 r@?8C6DD:@?2= v@=5 |652= 7@C 9:D D6CG:46 :? E96 |6C492?E |2C:?6 :? (@C=5 (2C xx] w6 4@?E:?F6D E@ =:G6 2? 24E:G6 =:76 E92E :?4=F56D 4@7766 H:E9 76==@H G6E6C2?D 2E 9:D =@42= p>6C:42? {68:@? A@DE]k^Am
kAmvC@H:?8 FA[ |6J6CD’ E9C66 52F89E6CD <?6H 96 925 366? :?;FC65 :? E96 H2C] qFE =:<6 >2?J G6E6C2?D[ 96 ?6G6C E2=<65 >F49 23@FE :E] xE H2D @?=J :? E96 A2DE 564256 @C D@ E92E 96 @A6?65 FA E@ E96>] %96J A6CDF2565 9:> E@ AFCDF6 2 !FCA=6 w62CE]k^Am
kAm“(6’C6 2H7F==J 6I4:E65[†D2:5 9:D 52F89E6C[ $2?5J q2<6C[ @7 }6H qF772=@[ |:49:82?] “|J D:DE6CD 2?5 x 92G6 366? H@C<:?8 @? E9:D 7@C 23@FE 6:89E @C ?:?6 J62CD]â€k^Am
kAmpEE@C?6J p=2? p?56CD@? D2:5 E96J’C6 ?@H 9@A:?8 E@ 2CC2?86 2 AC6D6?E2E:@? 46C6>@?J “:? E96 ?62C 7FEFC6]â€k^Am
kAm(96? E96 pC>J 56?:65 |6J6C’D 7:CDE 2AA=:42E:@?D 7@C E96 >652=[ :E D2:5 9:D 5@4F>6?E2E:@? H2D :?DF77:4:6?E] z=@3F492C’D @77:46 96=A65 9:> @3E2:? 255:E:@?2= 5@4F>6?ED[ 2?5 2? pC>J C6G:6H 3@2C5 4@?4=F565 =2DE H66< E92E E96 ?6H 6G:56?46 “6DE23=:D96D 36J@?5 C62D@?23=6 5@F3E E92E E96 2AA=:42?E H2D H@F?565 :? 24E:@? :? 62C=J yF?6 `hd`]â€k^Am
kAm%96 3@2C5 4:E65 C64@C5D 7C@> E96 s6A2CE>6?E @7 '6E6C2?D p772:CD[ H96C6 5@4E@CD 4@?4=F565 E96 D9C2A?6= :? 9:D E9:89 925 E@ 36 7C@> 2 4@>32E :?;FCJ 2?5 ?@E65 E92E :E 4@?E:?F65 E@ 42FD6 9:> @442D:@?2= A2:?] %96 3@2C5 2=D@ 4:E65 2 >6>@ 7C@> $8E] |2;] @7 E96 pC>J |:4926= (6:>6C[ 52E65 u63] af[ H9@ D2:5 96 36=:6G65 |6J6C’D 244@F?E H2D 244FC2E6[ 2?5 E92E 9:D >652= C6BF6DE 56D6CG65 2?@E96C C6G:6H]k^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQAC:?E0EC:>Qm“xE’D ?@E ;FDE 23@FE D2J:?8 E92?< J@F[ :E’D 23@FE C6>6>36C:?8[†p?56CD@? D2:5] “#6>6>36C:?8 2== E96J 5:5 2?5 E96:C D24C:7:46D[ 2?5 E96 8FJD E92E 5:5?’E >2<6 :E 324<]â€k^DA2?mk^Am