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Fifty Years After Combat Ends, Korean War Veteran Finally Receives Medals
08/06/07TOPEKA, KS – At an event this morning at her Topeka district office, 510 Southwest 10th Avenue, Congresswoman Nancy Boyda (Kansas Second District) awarded eight long-overdue medals, including a Purple Heart, to Korean War veteran Gerald Ferguson.
Mr. Ferguson, 78, was promoted to the rank of Sergeant First Class in November of 1951 while serving with the First Cavalry Division. During the Korean War he was trapped behind enemy lines for more than a week near Usan, North Korea, where he and seven other American soldiers were surrounded by approximately 90,000 advancing communist troops.
Mr. Ferguson's honorable service qualified him for eight military medals, and over the last five decades, he repeatedly attempted to gain access to the decorations. His inquiries resulted only in reports that his military records had been destroyed in a fire – a claim that turned out to be incorrect.
Earlier this year, Mr. Ferguson's grandson, Marine Corporal Justin Martinez, who is himself a Purple Heart recipient from the war in Iraq, approached Rep. Boyda's office for assistance in retrieving his grandfather's military records. After more than four months of correspondence and numerous telephone calls to federal agencies, Rep. Boyda's constituent services staff procured all of Mr. Ferguson’s military records, confirming his eligibility for the eight awards.
About a dozen members of Mr. Ferguson's family traveled to Rep. Boyda's Topeka office to witness this morning's awards ceremony, where Mr. Ferguson received the Purple Heart, Good Conduct Medal, Army of Occupation Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Korean Service Medal, Korean Defense Medal, United Nations Service Medal, and the Combat Infantryman Badge, as well as a Korean Presidential Unit Citation.
In presenting the medals to Mr. Ferguson, Rep. Boyda said, "I'm honored to finally, finally present to you these hard-earned decorations. They're fifty years too late, but our nation's gratitude for your service has no time limit."
Mr. Ferguson, 78, was promoted to the rank of Sergeant First Class in November of 1951 while serving with the First Cavalry Division. During the Korean War he was trapped behind enemy lines for more than a week near Usan, North Korea, where he and seven other American soldiers were surrounded by approximately 90,000 advancing communist troops.
Mr. Ferguson's honorable service qualified him for eight military medals, and over the last five decades, he repeatedly attempted to gain access to the decorations. His inquiries resulted only in reports that his military records had been destroyed in a fire – a claim that turned out to be incorrect.
Earlier this year, Mr. Ferguson's grandson, Marine Corporal Justin Martinez, who is himself a Purple Heart recipient from the war in Iraq, approached Rep. Boyda's office for assistance in retrieving his grandfather's military records. After more than four months of correspondence and numerous telephone calls to federal agencies, Rep. Boyda's constituent services staff procured all of Mr. Ferguson’s military records, confirming his eligibility for the eight awards.
About a dozen members of Mr. Ferguson's family traveled to Rep. Boyda's Topeka office to witness this morning's awards ceremony, where Mr. Ferguson received the Purple Heart, Good Conduct Medal, Army of Occupation Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Korean Service Medal, Korean Defense Medal, United Nations Service Medal, and the Combat Infantryman Badge, as well as a Korean Presidential Unit Citation.
In presenting the medals to Mr. Ferguson, Rep. Boyda said, "I'm honored to finally, finally present to you these hard-earned decorations. They're fifty years too late, but our nation's gratitude for your service has no time limit."