Finally!

So it’s been five years. Five years today when my dad died. And the phone call that I had been waiting for came through last Friday. Several unsuccessful attempts had been made to retrieve my dad’s medals from WWII over the years including one attempt made by me shortly before dad died. Courtesy of a congressman’s office we finally received dad’s medals.

They said it was the largest medal retrieval this office has even done.

I grinned.

I beamed.

My heart raced.

When I left the congressman’s office I cried. I was glad it was raining. I could blame my smudged makeup on the rain instead of the storm of emotions from a silly little girl getting overwhelmed with something she had wanted to accomplish for years and finally did. The heavy sigh of relief, release—whatever you want to call it. It was done.

Over.

A job finished.

Even though I had my bright yellow rain coat wrapped tightly around me it was the contents of the package that kept me warm. I’m scattered… but I’m allowed to be.

It’s my blog.

And it’s my daddy. And I am so proud of this man. You know the saying about how much smarter your parents get as you age?

**sigh**

Let me tell you a little about my dad and his medals. Some of the phrases used to describe my dad were “tenacity of purpose”, “gallantry in action” and “heroic achievement or service”.

My dad a war hero? Well, I think so!

(Click to enlarge)

Dad’s Medals

The Silver Star is awarded for gallantry in action against an enemy of the United States not justifying a higher award. It may be awarded to any person who, while serving in any capacity with the U.S Armed Forces, distinguishes himself or herself by extraordinary heroism involving one of the following actions:

• In action against an enemy of the United States
• While engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing foreign force
• While serving with friendly foreign forces engaged in an armed conflict against an opposing armed force in which the United States is not a belligerent party

Awarded for "Gallantry in action against an enemy of the United States”

The Bronze Star Medal is a United States Armed Forces individual military decoration which may be awarded for bravery, acts of merit, or meritorious service. When awarded for bravery, it is the fourth-highest combat award of the U.S. Armed Forces and the ninth highest military award (including both combat and non-combat awards) in the order of precedence of U.S. military decorations.

Awarded for “Heroic or meritorious achievement or service”

The Purple Heart is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those who have been wounded or killed while serving on or after April 5, 1917 with the U.S. military. The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor is located in New Windsor, New York. The original idea for the Purple Heart (the Badge of Military Merit) is the oldest symbol and award that is still given to members of the U.S. military, surpassed in history only by the long obsolete Fidelity Medallion.

Awarded for "Being wounded or killed in any action against an enemy of the United States or as a result of an act of any such enemy or opposing armed forces"

His name was even engraved on the back of those three medals.

The Presidential Unit Citation, originally called the Distinguished Unit Citation, is awarded to units of the Armed Forces of the United States and allies for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enemy on or after 7 December 1941 (the date of the Attack on Pearl Harbor and the start of American involvement in World War II). The unit must display such gallantry, determination, and esprit de corps in accomplishing its mission under extremely difficult and hazardous conditions so as to set it apart from and above other units participating in the same campaign. The degree of heroism required is the same as that which would warrant award of the Distinguished Service Cross, Air Force Cross or Navy Cross to an individual.

Awarded for gallantry, determination, and esprit de corps in accomplishing its mission under extremely difficult and hazardous conditions."

The American Campaign Medal was a military decoration of the United States armed forces which was first created on November 6, 1942 by Executive Order 9265 issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Originally issued as the “American Theater Ribbon”, the decoration was intended to recognize those service members who had performed duty in the American Theater of Operations during World War II.

To be awarded the American Campaign Medal, a service member was required to either perform one year of consecutive duty within the continental borders of the United States, or perform 30 days consecutive/60 non-consecutive days of duty outside the borders of the United States but within the American Theater of Operations. The American Theater was defined as the entirety of the United States to include most of the Atlantic Ocean, a portion of Alaska, and a small portion of the Pacific bordering California and Baja California.

The European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal is a military decoration of the United States armed forces which was first created on November 6, 1942 by Executive Order 9265 issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The decoration was intended to recognize those military service members who had performed military duty in the European Theater (to include North Africa and the Middle East) during the years of the Second World War. Colored bands representing Germany (on the ribbon's right side), Italy (on the ribbon's left side), and the United States (in the center of the ribbon) are visible in the ribbon. The brown and green areas of the ribbon represent the terrain of the area of conflict, which ranged from beaches and sand, to grass and woodlands, to mountains.

Originally known as the “EAME Ribbon”, the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal is awarded for any service performed between December 7, 1941 and March 2, 1946 provided such service was performed in the geographical theater areas of Europe, North Africa, or the Middle East. For those service members who participated in multiple battle campaigns, service stars are authorized to the decoration with the arrowhead device awarded for any airborne or amphibious operations performed. The Fleet Marine Force combat operation insignia is also authorized for certain sailors.

The World War II Victory Medal is a decoration of the United States military which was created by an act of Congress in July 1945. The decoration commemorates military service during the Second World War and is awarded to any member of the United States military, including members of the armed forces of the Government of the Philippine Islands, who served on active duty, or as a reservist, between December 7, 1941 and December 31, 1946.

The Army of Occupation Medal is a military decoration of the United States military which was established by the United States War Department in 1946. The medal was created in the aftermath of the Second World War to recognize those who had performed occupation service in either Germany or Japan. The original Army of Occupation Medal was intended only for members of the United States Army, but was expanded in 1948 to encompass the United States Air Force shortly after that service's creation.

The Combat Infantryman Badge (CIB) is an award of the United States Army which is presented to those officers, warrant officers and enlisted soldiers, in the grade of Colonel and below, who participate in active ground combat while assigned as a member of an infantry or special forces unit, brigade or smaller size, during any period subsequent to December 6, 1941. It, and the simultaneously created Expert Infantryman Badge (EIB) were created with the primary goal of recognizing the sacrifices of the infantrymen who were disproportionately likely to be killed or wounded during World War II.

Awarded for "Personally present and under hostile fire while serving in an assigned infantry or special forces primary duty, in a unit actively engaged in ground combat with the enemy."

A Marksmanship Badge is a military badge of the United States Army which is presented to service members upon successful completion of a weapons qualification course. It is issued in the following three grades (highest first): Expert, Sharpshooter(the level my dad reached), and Marksman. Army recruits can not exit initial training until a qualification of at least Marksman has been obtained.

The United States Army issues marksmanship badges for expert, sharpshooter and marksman qualifications. Suspended from it are component bars that indicate the specific weapons the soldier is qualified for. Only three marksmanship badges are authorized for wear at one time, and each may only have up to three component bars.

The Honorable Service Lapel Button sometimes called the Honorable Service Lapel Pin was awarded to United States military service members who were discharged under honorable conditions during World War II.^[1] The award was sometimes slangily called the Ruptured duck.

So this past weekend I presented these medals and awards to mom. As they started to spill from the envelope onto her bed she looked at me in disbelief. Oh that I could save that look from her in my mind forever!

Yeah, you're right.

More tears.

And hugs.

And the understanding look between a mother and a daughter when they both realized that neither had a clue what that man endured for our nation.

Still...we miss him terribly.

Hugs, Happiness and Harmony,

Julie