Two Florida veterans receive long-awaited Purple Hearts
WASHINGTON, DC - In February of 1945, while serving in World War II, then Marine Corporal Robert Glenn received multiple shrapnel wounds while engaging Japanese troops on the Island of Iwo Jima - sight of some of the fiercest battles of the war. These injuries would be the second he would sustain during his service in the war.
In that same month, 25 years later, then U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Rick Chess, while serving in Vietnam, tripped a booby trapped grenade, receiving multiple injuries to the face, both legs, the left hand, abdomen and chest.
Now, decades later, U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson honored the two war veterans at a ceremony at which they will receive their long-awaited purple hearts. In each case the veterans had not received their medal due to an oversight by the military.
The ceremony was held at the beginning of the senator’s Port St. Lucie town hall meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 9. Earlier that day, Nelson will hold a morning town hall meeting in Vero Beach and then will meet with elected officials at a noontime luncheon in Fort Pierce. That evening, Nelson is scheduled to attend a dinner with Okeechobee community leaders.
For most of this month while Congress is in recess, Nelson is spending much of his time holding a series of town hall meetings throughout Florida. On Thursday, he’ll host a town hall gathering in Stuart before speaking at a noon meeting of the Democratic Professionals Council in West Palm Beach.
At each of the events, Nelson will answer questions from the audience after giving an update on legislative issues in Washington. Among other things, he is expected to discuss the status of the war in Iraq, reforming the presidential primary system, Everglades restoration and the prospect of creating a national catastrophe fund. Nelson is a member of the Senate’s Armed Services, Intelligence and Foreign Relations committees.