This copyrighted story originally appeared in the Roanoke Times April 25 and is reprinted with permission.
Seymour native Sgt. Herman Prilipp didn’t seek the Purple Heart initially when he was seriously wounded during the Korean War.
But when the 85-year-old Roanoke veteran inquired about the honor decades later, U.S. Army representatives told him his records had been lost.
“I don’t know how they lost it,” Prilipp said. “And I was still getting benefits.”
Sixty-four years after Prilipp’s injury, representatives from the Veterans of Foreign Wars pooled old telegrams, medical records and other documents so that the wound on the battlefield could be recognized. He received the award Saturday during a ceremony at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Salem.
Prilipp’s Purple Heart is one of more than 1.8 million that have been issued to military members who were injured or killed during combat. His award ceremony was attended by U.S. Rep. Bob Goodlatte, state Sen. John Edwards and several high-ranking military officials.
“It is an opportunity after nearly 65 years to pay proper respect to a young American warrior who was grievously wounded in the service of his country,” said Maj. Gen. Jim Archer. “All veterans who serve honorably deserve thanks, but those who are awarded the Purple Heart deserve special recognition.”
The search for Prilipp’s records began in 2014, after Prilipp approached Senior Master Sgt. Frank Ware and his wife, Chief Master Sgt. Sarah Ware.
Ware said it took six months to piece together evidence of the injury. Many veterans’ records were lost during a large fire at the National Personnel Records Center in 1973.
“But Herm asked me if we could get his Purple Heart for his children before he died,” Ware said. “How could I say no to that?”
Prilipp said his injury occurred when his sergeant fired during an ambush in South Korea in August 1950.
“We were taking cover, and for some reason I stood up,” Prilipp said. “His gun was pointed right at my head. If I hadn’t stood up, I might be dead. The bullet went through my arm, through my hip and the bullet ended up near my spine.”
Officials rushed Prilipp to a hospital in Busan, South Korea, and later to another hospital in Japan. When Prilipp returned to his company sometime later, he learned that news of his injury had not traveled to Army officials.
“They thought I had deserted,” Prilipp said.
Ware said Prilipp’s subsequent return to South Korea duty, not just his injury, showed his dedication to the company and the military.
“They already had marked him down as a possible deserter,” he said. “He didn’t have to come back.”
During Saturday’s ceremony, Prilipp thanked his friends and family for helping him receive the recognition.
“I never expected this,” Prilipp said. “All you people, all you good friends mean a lot to me. I wish I could thank you more.”
