SPRINGFIELD - The Purple Heart awarded to Army Specialist Kenneth R. Wiest was returned to his family as part of Operation Purple Heart, an unprecedented mission to return 11 Purple Heart medals to their rightful owners, Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs announced today. Wiest earned the medal while serving in Vietnam. He also served in Desert Storm, sometimes called the Gulf War. Mr. Wiest died in O’Fallon, Illinois, on Sept. 4, 1998, at age 48. Like many combat veterans, Mr. Wiest rarely spoke about his service and the injuries he suffered taking fire while inside a helicopter. “Army Specialist Wiest served his country, and it is our duty to honor this soldier no matter how many years have passed,” Frerichs said during a somber ceremony in Springfield with Mr. Wiest’s children. “Dad was a good soldier, a loyal friend and dedicated father,” said Andrea Wiest Schone, the youngest of four siblings who initiated the process that led to
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