Photo By Zachary Mott | An honor guard from the local American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars posts...... read more read more
BIRCHWOOD, Wisc. – Family of a World War II Veteran who was recently identified as one of the service members who died when their ship was bombed November 16, 1942, in the Pacific theater of operations were able to achieve closure as they were presented with his medals during a ceremony May 28.
Private first class Herbert A. Grue was a member of the 22nd Portable Hospital unit en route to setting up a Mobile Army Surgical Hospital to aide the Soldiers and Marines serving on the front lines. He, along with the contingent of Soldiers and Sailors on board, was listed as buried at sea following the attack by the Japanese navy. It wasn’t until earlier this year when the Army notified the surviving family members that Pfc. Grue would have his duty status updated to killed in action.
The oldest grandchild, Laura Ekstrom who now resides in Birchwood, Wisconsin and had heard some tales of her grandfather, began asking questions about what medals he received, in hopes of learning more about her family’s history of military service.
That fact-finding quest resulted in a Memorial Day weekend ceremony with more than 50 family members and friends in attendance as Maj. Christopher Spencer, a retirement services officer with the U.S. Army Reserve’s 88th Regional Support Command, presented the family with each of the six awards and described what each medal means.
“It was just the most amazing thing,” Ekstrom said. “It’s just a way to honor our grandfather and everyone that’s fallen in the war and thank them that we have our freedom and stand here today.”
Coordinating the attendance from family members as far away as Arizona proved challenging, but coordinating the ceremony with Memorial Day felt like a fitting tribute, Ekstrom said.
“It’s our heritage, I want all of our children – and we even have great-grandchildren here today – to remember this,” she said.
The six awards presented to Ekstrom, her five sisters and the rest of the family were: the Purple Heart, Presidential Unit Citation, the American Campaign Medal, the World War II Victory Medal, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, and the Good Conduct Medal.
The 20-minute ceremony was followed by a 21-gun salute and playing Taps by an honor guard comprised members of the local American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars posts.
“You serve your whole career in hoping that you’ll do something honorable. Every single time you put that uniform on you want to do something honorable,” Spencer said. “I don’t think there’s anything more honorable than this. It’s awesome.”
| Date Taken: | 05.28.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 05.30.2017 15:14 |
| Story ID: | 235737 |
| Location: | BIRCHWOOD, WISCONSIN, US |
| Hometown: | FORT MCCOY, WISCONSIN, US |
| Web Views: | 217 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Family of WWII Veteran Receives Final Medals, by Zachary Mott, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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