'Operation Purple Hearts' returns lost medals to rightful owners

In all, 11 Purple Heart medals will be returned to their owners
Sunday, March 5, 2023
CHICAGO (WLS) -- It was an emotional homecoming for a Purple Heart Award that has been lost for years.

Army Specialist Kenneth Wiest, who died in Illinois in 1998, was awarded the Purple Heart for his time in Vietnam.
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Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs returned the medal to Wiest's family Sunday as part of a mission called "Operation Purple Heart."

RELATED: Black WWII veteran who was denied the Purple Heart due to racism finally receives the honor at 99

The medal was in a forgotten safe deposit box that had been given to the state treasurer's office.
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In all, 11 Purple Heart medals will be returned to their owners.

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