PORT WASHINGTON, Wis., Sept. 12 (UPI) -- A World War II U.S. Army veteran hit with shrapnel in the Philippines 65 years ago has finally received his Purple Heart.
Vern Arendt, 88, also was awarded a Bronze Star, World War II Victory Medal and three bronze service stars in a ceremony Friday at the American Legion Post in Port Washington, Wis., the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.
Arendt was wounded during the Battle of Zig Zag Pass in 1944. He was using a flamethrower to clear out a cave when a Japanese soldier threw a grenade at him. He dodged the full force of the explosion but was hit in the leg and buttocks by shrapnel.
U.S. Sen. Herb Kohl, D-Wash., presented the medals.
"Vern Arendt is indeed an American hero. He is from the greatest generation, that generation that selflessly dedicated themselves to saving our country at a very crucial time in our history," Kohl said. "In a very real sense, he is emblematic of the greatest generation and all that they did for us."
