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Purple Heart

PostPosted: Sun Jun 03, 2012 11:52 am
by pcfrmr
On Sunday May 27, 2012, I was honored with the formal presentation of the Purple Heart. As part of an annual Memorial Day observance at Veterans Plaza in Fort Collins, CO, my MOPH chapter was to present a PH, earned but not awarded, to a Navy veteran during the Viet Nam war. The paper work was not all in place and the plan fell through. I had never been formally presented the PH. Mine was sent to my Mother back in Iowa, while I was in the Army hospital system recovering from 26 March 1968 wounds. In order to keep our MOPH on the roster of events, I offered that I had received but not been honored with a formal presentation. The PH was pinned on my jacket by the Adjudant General of the Colorado National guard. I had not forseen the emotional upheaval it would cause me. Several days of flooding memories and angst resulted in a short response talk that gave tribute to our friends KIA'd and WIA'd that day as well to Doc Fitz for saving my life. It gave me a greater feeling of pride to have served in combat with a strong, powerful, proud unit such as ours, 1st Bn, 50th Infantry(Mechanized) in combat.
GOMF, Bob Wuestenberg