Waterloo, IA - Today, Rep. Bruce Braley (IA-01) will travel to Dubuque to present seven military service medals - including the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star - to Zane Thorpe, a World War II Army veteran who was awarded the medals but never received them after he was honorably discharged from the military in 1945.
In his discharge papers, the Army told Thorpe he was entitled to the medals, but because of a shortage, they were never given to him. This November, Thorpe's family approached Braley's office for assistance in finally obtaining the medals, 66 years after they were granted.
Thorpe enlisted in the Army in April 1943. After basic training, he was assigned to the 157th Combat Regiment, 45th Division, 3rd Battalion, L Company, which was deployed to Sicily and campaigned throughout Italy. By 1944, Thorpe's unit had moved on to France and later Germany, where he was wounded in the Battle of the Bulge. Thorpe was evacuated to a hospital in England, and was transferred to a hospital in Texas. He was discharged in July 1945 after V-E Day.
The Medals Award Ceremony was held on Thursday, December 22nd, 2011 @ 11:00am at the Oak Park Place Senior Community,
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