Congressman McHenry to Present 7 Awards to Widow of WW2 Veteran on Friday
Investigation by district office finds that WWII vet Howard W. Carrigan of Hickory, NC never received seven deserved medals for his service to America. Tomorrow, Congressman McHenry will present the awards to his widow, Mabel Carrigan, on behalf of her husband, who died 19 years ago.
HICKORY,
Jun 2, 2005 -
On Friday, June 3rd, Congressman Patrick McHenry (R-NC-10) will present seven posthumous medals to Mabel Carrigan – the widow of Howard W. Carrigan, a World War II combat veteran.
Mrs. Carrigan wrote to the congressional office earlier in the year, requesting that one last WWII medal be posthumously awarded to her husband. She received the Normandy Beach Medal on his behalf last year from former U.S. Rep. Cass Ballenger.
After investigating the matter, McHenry’s office found that Mr. Carrigan – a WWII vet who died 19 years ago, and who once served in Normandy, the Rhineland and central Europe – was eligible for seven medals in total, six more than previously thought. These include:
American Defense Service Medal
American Campaign Medal
European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign with 4 bronze service stars
World War 11 Victory Medal
Honorable Service Lapel Button
WW11 Sharpshooter Badge with Machine Gun Bar and Rifle Bar
Marksman Badge with Carbine Bar and Pistol Bar
Howard Carrigan returned after the war to become a truck driver, but never received the appropriate medals before his passing. Carrigan served in the 117th Infantry, Company D from 1941-1945. His battles and campaigns were in Normandy, Northern France, the Rhineland and Central Europe. Upon return from the war, Mr. Carrigan drove a truck for Broyhill Furniture as a civilian. The Carrigans have one son, one granddaughter and three great-grandchildren, including a set of twins.
Mr. Carrigan was 27 when he married Mabel, who was then 18. Mabel was on base waiting for her husband to come home from work one day. When he did not show, a friend of his stopped by to tell her Howard wouldn’t be coming back – that he was on his way to war. He landed in France on D-Day. Later in life, he did not talk much about the war but when he did, he referred to it as “the bloody bath.”
Congressman McHenry will present the seven medals to Mrs. Carrigan at 1pm in the district office in Hickory, North Carolina, at 87 4th St. NW, Suite A, Hickory, NC 28603. Members of the media are invited to attend the event.
For more information, please contact Jonathan Collegio at (202) 225-2576.
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