Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Better Late Than Never

It took a while for Arthur Welch to get his recognition, but last week, he finally received a Purple Heart medal that he earned in the Korean War.
More than a half-century ago, in 1953, Marine Private First Class Welch of Muncie, Indiana, suffered shrapnel wounds during a gun battle.
He actually was awarded the medal while in the service, but it seems the medic who treated him was killed soon after and the necessary paperwork just wasn’t processed. If it weren’t for the fact that he applied for Veterans Affairs medical benefits at age 80, he never would have learned the medal was awaiting him.
Additionally, he received the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, and the Korea Service Medal.
It’s about time. Congratulations, and thank you, Pfc. Arthur Welch.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

This is my kids step great grandpa! We were so happy for him. And so thankful he received his medal before his death in 2015.