KTTC

By Noah Caplan

(KTTC) – It may have taken Earl Meyer 70 years, but this week, the 96-year-old World War II and Korean War veteran will finally receive a Purple Heart medal for his service.

Originally from St. Peter, Minnesota, Meyer served in both World War II and in Korea. In June 1951 he was in a battle where his platoon was trapped by enemy forces and a piece of shrapnel struck him. A medic bandaged him in the field.

Later, while on a hospital ship, Meyer learned only four servicemen from his company survived. According to reports, Meyer is alive today thanks in part to quick actions by medical crews who came to his aid.

“For our country, there should never be a waiting line when it comes to that acknowledgement,” US Senator Amy Klobuchar (DFL-MN) said in a presser Sunday morning. “Our veterans like Earl all fought for something bigger than any single one of us. Our rights, our freedom and our safety. They had our nations back, we have to have theirs.”

Sen. Klobuchar and her team have long advocated for Meyer to receive a Purple Heart. Sunday, she and Meyer teamed up to make the announcement official.