Faithwire
  • Watch
  • Go!
  • Podcasts
  • Newsletter
  • Contact Us
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • SCOTUS
  • Life
  • Religious Liberty
  • News
  • Politics
  • Faith
  • Opinion

92-Year-Old Veteran Finally Receives Purple Heart Earned in WWII More Than 7 Decades Later

Credit: The Fayetteville Observer
Credit: The Fayetteville Observer
Share Tweet
By Faithwire Staff
Editor

March 27, 2017

A 92-year-old World War II veteran has finally receive the Purple Heart he earned while fighting in Belgium more than 70 years ago.

Oscar Davis Jr., who now lives in North Carolina, was injured during the Battle of the Bulge while he was a private assigned as a radio telephone operator, The Fayetteville Observer reported.

The radio on Davis’ back protected him when a large piece of shrapnel fell on top of him, but a barrage of German artillery uprooted a tree in the Ardennes forest
that fell on him, injuring his spine.

READ: 96-Year-Old WWII Veteran Celebrates 71st Valentine’s Day with Holocaust Survivor He Saved from Auschwitz

The paratrooper was paralyzed from the waist down for three weeks but eventually rejoined his unit in Germany.

While Davis was informed decades ago that he would receive the prestigious military honor, he never did due to unsigned paperwork.

On Saturday, at Heritage Place in Fayetteville, the Purple Heart was finally pinned to Davis’ jacket by Lt. Col. Marcus Wright, commander of the 1st Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, the same regiment that Davis once belonged to.

Today: a WW2 @PantherBrigade veteran receives a Purple Heart 72 years, 1 month & 2 weeks after he was injured during the Battle of the Bulge pic.twitter.com/QlKxXOUoB9

— Drew Brooks (@DrewBrooks) March 25, 2017

Davis was surrounded by friends, family and more than two dozen soldiers with the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division.

Davis thanked God for being able to experience the honor.

“This has been some day,” he said. “I couldn’t believe all this was going to happen. I just want to thank the Lord.”

Like Faithwire on Facebook.

It took the Veterans Legacy Foundation nearly two years to recover the medal for Davis. The volunteer organization has helped more than 100 veterans receive military awards owed to them.

For Davis, Volunteers scoured an archive of military records to find proof that he was injured in the war.

In 2015, the group also helped Davis recover the Bronze Star and other medals that were awarded to him, which were presented to him in a ceremony at the U.S. Army Airborne & Special Operations Museum in Fayetteville.

“He’s still one of us,” said Capt. Andrew Hammack, commander of A Company, 1st Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment. “He’s just not currently reporting for duty.”

(H/T: The Fayetteville Observer)

Other Must-Read Stories:

—The Awesome Reason This Veteran is Venturing into War Zones in Search of Dogs

—WATCH: Taylor Swift Surprises 96-year-old World War II Veteran for Christmas

—Navy Couple’s Inspiring Veterans Day Photo Captures the Strength of Military Families

—Veteran Who Dropped Out of High School to Fight in WWII Surprised With Diploma

—90-Year-Old WWII Vet Still Enjoys His Job Greeting Supermarket Customers and Has No Plans to Retire

Latest

  • News

    World Athletics Bans Transgender Athletes From Competing in Female Sports

  • News

    Christian Ex-Cop Fired For Refusing Pandemic Mandate Doubles Down: ‘Get It or Be Fired’

  • News

    Chicago Blackhawks Won’t Wear Pride Jerseys, Citing Security Concerns

  • News

    ‘We are Devastated but Not Defeated’: Massive 8-Alarm Fire Destroys Church in New Jersey, Cause of Fire Under Investigation

  • News

    Wild Footage Shows Brave Good Samaritan Purportedly Tackling, Thwarting Gun-Wielding Man Fleeing Police in Busy NYC Neighborhood


Sponsored
Sponsored

Newsletter
Signup

Sidebar

Recent Posts

  • World Athletics Bans Transgender Athletes From Competing in Female Sports
  • Christian Ex-Cop Fired For Refusing Pandemic Mandate Doubles Down: ‘Get It or Be Fired’
  • Chicago Blackhawks Won’t Wear Pride Jerseys, Citing Security Concerns
  • ‘We are Devastated but Not Defeated’: Massive 8-Alarm Fire Destroys Church in New Jersey, Cause of Fire Under Investigation
  • Wild Footage Shows Brave Good Samaritan Purportedly Tackling, Thwarting Gun-Wielding Man Fleeing Police in Busy NYC Neighborhood

Archives

  • March 2023
  • February 2023
  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016

Categories

  • Christian Persecution
  • Coronavirus
  • culture
  • Culture
  • Entertainment
  • Faith
  • Faith
  • Family
  • George Floyd
  • Go!
  • Israel
  • Life
  • Life
  • Lifestyle
  • Media
  • Men
  • Mission Haiti
  • News
  • News
  • Opinion
  • P.O.V
  • Politics
  • Politics
  • Roe
  • Sponsored
  • Sports
  • Virtue
  • Women

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

Navigation

  • Watch
  • Go!
  • Podcasts
  • Newsletter
  • Contact Us
  • Staff
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Instagram

Subscribe to the Newsletter

Sign up to get our newsletter your inbox every day.

Newsletter Signup

Do you want to read
more articles like this?