A World War II veteran has received a special military honor some 80 years after his service.
Army Capt. Louis Vernon Landry, a former physician from Bossier, La., served in World War II and on Aug. 12 posthumously received a Bronze Star Medal. He served in the conflict in the Southwest Pacific and England, treating wounded soldiers under fire.
He earned a combat medical badge for his service, which made him eligible for the Bronze Star Medal. But it was not presented to him before his death, leading his family to seek recognition for Capt. Landry.
Now, 80 years later, an army colonel presented the medal—awarded to those who show heroic or meritorious achievement in a combat zone—to Larry Landry, Capt. Landry’s son, and the rest of his family in a ceremony in Bossier, according to KSLA 12 News.
“It was important because it had never been formally presented,” Larry Landry reportedly said. “The local VFW [Veterans of Foreign Wars] was a great help and said, ‘Yes, we want to do that.’ So, we worked with them. It just kind of grew from a small seed to a big tree.”
The honor comes as most World War II veterans are no longer around to share their stories.
“I really think it is especially important for our Greatest Generation,” Veronica Ten Eyck, Capt. Landry’s granddaughter, told KSLA. “To be able to go back and make sure that their work in the past is being recognized is really important.”
State Rep. Raymond Crews, local veterans, and other members of Landry’s family attended the ceremony, where the Bossier City mayor proclaimed it “Dr. L.V. Landry Day” in Bossier City.
US Role in World War II
Over 16 million American military members served in World War II and over 400,000 of those died during the conflict, according to the National WWII Museum. The war lasted between 1939 and 1945.
The U.S. became involved in the conflict when, on Sept. 16, 1940, President Franklin Roosevelt signed the Selective Training and Service Act, requiring all men between 21 and 36 to register with local draft boards.
This marked the first time the country had ever conscripted troops while technically at peace.
Then, when the Axis attacked Pearl Harbor in December 1941, the U.S. started actively supplying Allied nations.
Other Veterans’ Awards
Other veterans have received recognition, years after serving in armed conflict.
Daniel Knote, a 79-year-old who served six years in the Army, was shot in the leg while he ran to help a wounded fellow soldier, Mike Beck, in February 1968, during the Vietnam War.
The then 21-year-old Army specialist was supposed to receive a Purple Heart award, which is awarded to service members wounded or killed in action against an enemy. But because of a paperwork mistake, it was not listed in his files for nearly six decades.
Rep. Nick LaLota (R-N.Y.) gave Knote the award in a special ceremony Aug. 7 at a local VFW post in Rocky Point, N.Y., to coincide with National Purple Heart Day, which honors those with the award.
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) honored 49 veterans of the Revolutionary War in a series of ceremonies that came as part of a wider effort to commemorate the United States’ 250th anniversary.
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