Working Together To Bring A Purple Heart Home
Below is a MRR and PLR article in category Society -> subcategory Other.
Working Together to Bring a Purple Heart Home
Summary
Since World War II, over 1.5 million Purple Hearts have been awarded to American servicemen and women. These medals, symbols of bravery and sacrifice, are treasured by families and often displayed on uniforms or at home. However, one such medal recently found in a thrift shop sparked a nationwide search for its rightful owner.
The Discovery
While browsing a secondhand store in California, Gene Dobos stumbled upon a worn Purple Heart mixed with other items. The medal, engraved with the name "Frank N. Smith," represents soldiers wounded by the enemy or awarded posthumously to the next of kin of those who die due to battle injuries. Recognizing its significance, Dobos bought the medal and initiated a quest to reunite it with its owner’s family.
The Investigation
Dobos reached out to the Military Order of the Purple Heart, a group of combat veterans dedicated to honoring these medals and their recipients. Ray Funderburk, the organization’s public relations chief and Vietnam veteran with two Purple Hearts, embarked on researching Frank N. Smith’s story. He discovered that Smith, a U.S. Army private, died during an ambush in Vietnam nearly four decades ago.
Smith was just 20, scheduled to return home to Ohio shortly before his death on December 17, 1968.
Reconnecting with the Family
After learning about Smith, Funderburk collaborated with an Ohio genealogist to locate Smith's burial site and surviving relatives. The search led to Smith's grave near his childhood home in Ohio. Though his parents had passed away, emails from his siblings, commemorating him at an online Vietnam War memorial, helped identify them. They were astonished to learn that strangers showed such dedication to returning the medal.
Smith had married and become a father shortly before being deployed to Vietnam. After his death, his widow and daughter moved west, likely bringing the Purple Heart, though how it ended up in a thrift shop remains unknown.
Emotional Homecoming
Smith’s sister, Jonna, was deeply moved by the medal’s return, as were many others involved. Inspired by the collective effort, Funderburk wrote a poem, which his son-in-law set to music. A CD was produced, with proceeds funding a scholarship program connecting youth with bedridden veterans in Veteran Affairs facilities.
The chorus poignantly captures the essence of the Purple Heart:
"Purple Hearts are won in battle; grenades explode, machine guns rattle; a soldier dies, a mother cries; that's how Purple Hearts are won."
A Lasting Tribute
A small ceremony was planned at the cemetery where the encased Purple Heart would be affixed to Smith's headstone. Private First Class Frank N. Smith's sacrifice will continue to inspire, as his story is shared in VA hospitals across the nation, symbolizing freedom and heroism.
This heartfelt journey reflects the power of community and the profound respect held for those who have served and sacrificed.
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