January 20th, CPT Zachariah Fike, founder of Purple Hearts Reunited and Assistant Americanism Officer for the Military Order of the Purple Heart (MOPH), will conduct a ceremony to return a lost Purple Heart medal to WWII veteran, CPL George D. Hemphill.

Corporal George D. Hemphill, was born in November, 1922. He enlisted in the US Army in 1944, and served during WWII as an Infantryman in Company C, 2nd Infantry Regiment, 5th Infantry Division with service in Northern France and Germany. He was wounded on September 11th, 1944 in France, when shrapnel from enemy Sniper Fire left him partially blinded for three weeks. He would later make a full recovery and was discharged in March of 1946. Later in his life, there was a wreck in which a gasoline tanker was hit by a train in 1954. Mr. Hemphill ran in and tried to retrieve the driver, but the gasoline exploded before he was successful. He spent more than a year in the hospital from the burns and retains the scars today, but his regret was he couldn't get the driver out. Hero then, hero now, hero forever. 



Hemphill's Purple Heart medal was discovered in 2000 by Bob Blum, also a veteran, in a Columbia, SC, antique shop. He spotted the medal and bought it for $70, knowing that the medal didn't belong there. Over the next few months, he tried to research and locate the original recipient with no luck. Then a close friend, Paul Marquis, himself a Purple Heart recipient for wounds received in Vietnam, read a story about CPT Zachariah Fike, an active duty member of the Vermont National Guard, who founded "Purple Hearts Reunited" two years ago. CPT Fike purchases or receives lost or stolen Purple Heart medals and locates the closest family member so that he can return the medal to them. After Marquis contacted Fike by email, he put Fike and Blum in touch and, together, they were finally able to track down the family of George Hemphill. According to the family, after Mr. Hemphill was wounded, he had sent the medal home to his mother, as he was afraid he was going to lose it. For some reason, the medal was lost in the mail and never arrived. Nor did Mr. Hemphill ever think to seek a replacement. Luckily, it turned up in 2000 in the hands of a patriotic veteran. 

For Fike, this will be a very special ceremony for two reasons -- this will be the first time he will be able to return a Purple Heart medal to a living Veteran. There is also a special twist to the story; Fike himself was wounded on the same calendar day as Hemphill. September 11th, 1944 for Hemphill, and 2010 for Fike.

Mr. Hemphill will not only receive his Purple Heart back, but Fike discovered that he had been awarded a Bronze Star that he was entitled to and never received. At this ceremony Hemphill will also receive a Combat Infantryman Badge, European African Middle Eastern Medal w/ 3 Combat Stars, Good Conduct Medal, WWII Victory Medal, American Theater Service Medal, and Honorable Service Lapel Pin. 

The greatest generation? Absolutely. The ceremony will take place on January 20th at 2pm, at the Rutherfordton Community Center, on Gilkey School Rd., if you would lke to attend. It is open to the public.