Son of late World War II veteran receives father's Purple Heart Medal

ByABC7 Chicago Digital Team WLS logo
Monday, July 1, 2024 5:48PM
Son of late World War II veteran receives father's Purple Heart Medal
The state's treasurer returned a the medal to the veteran's son on Monday.

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Ahead of Independence Day, the son of a late World War II veteran accepted a lost Purple Heart medal on his behalf.

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Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs returned the medal as part of a mission called "Operation Purple Heart."

Jerome "Jerry" Even, survived the attack on Pearl Harbor. On Monday, his son accepted his Puprle Heart Medal.

The medal had been abandoned in a bank safe deposit box and turned over to the state's unclaimed property division.

10 more Purple Heart medals need to be returned to their owners.

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