Another Purple Heart story
Hack Stone sends us a link to the story of Nancy Sasson who was cleaning out a closet in her parents’ house when she discovered a Purple Heart medal on the floor. It was engraved on the back with the name Irvin S. Grindrod, who had been a captain nearly a hundred years ago with service in The Great War. The Purple Heart hadn’t been awarded during that war;
In 1932, Gen. Douglas MacArthur resurrected the medal – a purple enamel heart showing a profile of Washington.
Military personnel who had earned a Meritorious Service Citation Certificate in World War I could exchange the document for the Purple Heart. Those who had been wounded could swap their “wound chevrons,” worn on the sleeve, for the new award.
Thousands of veterans applied to do that.
Grindrod was one of them. Ms. Sasson tracked the trail from World War I to her parents’ closet and found out things about her own heritage that she hadn’t previously known. You should read the whole story.
Category: War Stories
Well written story – thank you to Ms. Sasson for trying to return the medal to Grindrod’s family.
That’s pretty cool!
I’m curious… I was awarded a Purple Heart but never had it engraved. Is there somewhere that does it?
I would think that most any trophy plaque producing business would be able to do that.
I had the past unit listing on my retirement award reworked and it was a nickel a letter.
I read, some years ago, that a few Union Civil War veterans also applied for and received retroactive Purple Hearts in the 1930s.
Awesome story !!!!!!
Thank you for your service Capt Grinrod…RiP Sir.