Thanks to the collaboration of two veterans’ organizations, a family in California received a Purple Heart that their uncle earned more than eight decades ago.
Working with the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency (MVAA) and the California Department of Veterans Affairs (CalVet), was able to deliver a Purple Heart to the family of World War II veteran John Van Doorne, killed in action while serving in Europe in 1944.
“The MVAA is honored to have played a role in returning this Purple Heart to the veteran’s family,” said MVAA director Terry J. Sabo in a press release. “This return wouldn’t have been possible without the partnership between the two teams and is a powerful reminder of what we can accomplish when we work together to honor those who have served.”
Van Doorne, 19, was living with his parents in Grand Rapids, Mich., during the war, working at a local factory, the American Seating Company. But as the war continued, Van Doorne felt a need to serve his country and signed up with the Army.
After joining the military, Van Doorne became a private first class and was assigned to Germany. He was killed fighting in Europe at just 20 years old.
One week later, the Van Doornes received the news no family wants to hear.
William Alofs, Van Doorne’s nephew, only knew his uncle through stories.
“My sister and I never met our uncle, but our mother often shared stories about him,” Alofs said. “We were told that our family was heartbroken over John’s passing, and our grandmother spent weeks in bed.”
The Van Doornes didn’t know where their beloved John was buried, but Alofs and his sister, Lou Ellen Blouw, tried to investigate. They attempted to pinpoint the location based on letters and photographs he had sent back home. After years of searching, help came from an unlikely source, the sister of a deceased Vietnam veteran.
Medal in the Cabinet
Terry James Timmer was drafted into the Navy in 1967 and became an aircraft carrier ranger in the Vietnam War. Timmer completed three years of military service and returned home to Michigan.
Following his stint in the Navy, Timmer became a passionate memorabilia collector, buying two homes near Grand Rapids to store all his valuables. After his death during the COVID-19 pandemic, his sister, Mary Hoving, took over Timmer’s properties.
One day, while looking through some of her brother’s items, Hoving stumbled upon a Purple Heart stowed away in the back of a cabinet. Hoving knew it wasn’t her brother’s award and didn’t recognize the last name on the medal. But she knew it was too valuable to simply discard. Hoving contacted Austin Ramey, a veteran service officer with the MVAA.
“It was not right to throw something like this away,” said Hoving. “This is a treasured medal, and it would be a shame to let it go like that.”
Purple Heart Returns to Family
Working with MVAA partnership coordinator Allen Dow, along with Stefanie MacDonald, who manages veteran service officers for MVAA, Ramey was able to find Van Doorne’s living descendants, a niece and nephew in California.
Through that, MVAA started teaming with CalVet to finally bring the Purple Heart back to where it belonged. Sabo met with Lindsey Sin, CalVet secretary, for a special meeting in Washington, D.C. to receive the medal.
On March 17, Sin handed the Purple Heart to Blouw and Alofs at the CalVet offices in Sacramento. Until recently, the siblings never knew their uncle had earned a Purple Heart.
Also on that day, Alofs and Blouw received another surprise – Van Doorne was buried in the U.S.
Through the documentation they collected, the siblings believed their uncle was buried in an American military cemetery in Saint-Avold, France. But their grandparents had actually requested that their son’s remains be returned to Michigan. He’s buried next to his parents at Rest Lawn Memorial Park in Grand Rapids, according to the MVAA.
“We are thankful for Mary reaching out to get our uncle’s medal home,” said Alofs. “It’s so important to pass on the knowledge to younger people about the sacrifices past generations have made for them.”
Hoving said she’s glad she found the Purple Heart and was able to track down Van Doorne’s descendants.
“It was truly an honor,” she said.
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