96-Year-Old Korean War Veteran Sues Army for Denial of Purple Heart Recognition

Army Rejects Earl Meyer's Purple Heart Claim Citing Insufficient Evidence; Review Underway after Legal Action, Publicity.

Earl Meyer, a 96-year-old veteran of the Korean War, is suing the U.S. Army following its denial of his Purple Heart claim, citing insufficient documentation of his injuries sustained during combat in June 1951.
Following the lawsuit and media attention, the Army's office of the top noncommissioned officer, Sgt. Maj. Michael Weimer, confirmed that Meyer's case would be reviewed again.
Meyer's claim for the Purple Heart, a medal honoring service members wounded or killed in combat, is complicated by the lack of paperwork verifying his injuries, something he attributes to the probable death of his battlefield medic before the paperwork could be filed.
Despite initially being refused, Meyer was persuaded by his three daughters to pursue the Purple Heart, with their belief that it would provide closure to his past.
In 2005, doctors from the VA Medical Center in Minneapolis agreed that Meyer's leg injury was likely a result of combat, a sentiment further supported by Senator Amy Klobuchar, who has repeatedly attempted to help Meyer obtain the required documentation from the National Archives.