Racism kept a Black WWII vet from a Purple Heart, Osceola “Ozzie” Fletcher says. At 99, he got the award.

[basquebromance]

patience is a virtue!

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/06/19/purple-heart-black-veteran-fletcher/

 

[protectionist]

I have medals coming to me from my service in the US Army and National Guard (1964-1969). I still haven't received them. Of 3 neighbors of mine who are veterans of the same time period, none have ever gotten their medals.

This is very common, and has absolutely nothing to do with race.

 

[Baron Von Murderpaws]

patience is a virtue!

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/06/19/purple-heart-black-veteran-fletcher/

Sorry, they require me to register to read anything.
Not gonna happen.

 

[Polishprince]

I have medals coming to me from my service in the US Army and National Guard (1964-1969). I still haven't received them. Of 3 neighbors of mine who are veterans of the same time period, none have ever gotten their medals.

This is very common, and has absolutely nothing to do with race.

Complicating the matter, there was a fire several decades ago in a St. Louis warehouse where they stored WW2 veterans records.

 

[Baron Von Murderpaws]

I have medals coming to me from my service in the US Army and National Guard (1964-1969). I still haven't received them. Of 3 neighbors of mine who are veterans of the same time period, none have ever gotten their medals.

This is very common, and has absolutely nothing to do with race.

Complicating the matter, there was a fire several decades ago in a St. Louis warehouse where they stored WW2 veterans records.

I've had to deal with government offices many times in my line of work, in order to get past information. Usually, more often than not, all government offices still work off paper. Paper gets lost over the years. If a govt office moves or is "re-established", most of it's paper records are destroyed instead of being transferred. Most govt records are not even filed or kept after 3 years.
A LOT of paper files that are kept are mismanaged, misfiled, and pretty much "lost in the system".

 

[Sunni Man]

Complicating the matter, there was a fire several decades ago in a St. Louis warehouse where they stored WW2 veterans records.

DD214s and the NPRC 1973 Fire

details about DD Form 214, Discharge Papers and Veterans Separation Documents

dd214.us