thedrifter
06-11-07, 05:30 AM
Posted June 11, 2007
FdL veteran to receive replacement Purple Heart
By The Reporter
Fond du Lac's Marcel Bisson, an 82-year-old World War II veteran who survived the horrific 1945 Battle of Iwo Jima, is getting a replacement Purple Heart.
Seriously wounded by mortar shells 12 days into the battle, the Marine Corps infantry gunner earned the prestigious military medal for his heroic efforts during the famous battle on the volcanic island that left 7,000 U.S. Marines and 20,000 Japanese dead.
Bisson served as a machine gunner and told his story of what happened for the first time to The Reporter for an article that ran Feb. 23 in honor of the 62nd anniversary of Iwo Jima.
When Bisson's nephew Jerry Feustel of Sheboygan heard how his uncle's Purple Heart was lost when his parents moved off a family farm, he decided to do something about it.
After contacting Sheboygan Marine Recruiter Jeremy Garcia, who got the ball rolling, Feustel now has in his hands a replacement Purple Heart, nestled in a small jewelry case.
The medal is engraved on the back with the veteran's name.
On Saturday, July 7, Feustel plans to present his uncle with the medal during a surprise ceremony scheduled during an annual family picnic at Evergreen Park.
"When the Marine recruiter got it for me to give to Marcel, I knew the cost was $45, but they wouldn't take the money," Feustel said. "He said a decoration like this was already earned. There should never be a charge for it."
Ellie
FdL veteran to receive replacement Purple Heart
By The Reporter
Fond du Lac's Marcel Bisson, an 82-year-old World War II veteran who survived the horrific 1945 Battle of Iwo Jima, is getting a replacement Purple Heart.
Seriously wounded by mortar shells 12 days into the battle, the Marine Corps infantry gunner earned the prestigious military medal for his heroic efforts during the famous battle on the volcanic island that left 7,000 U.S. Marines and 20,000 Japanese dead.
Bisson served as a machine gunner and told his story of what happened for the first time to The Reporter for an article that ran Feb. 23 in honor of the 62nd anniversary of Iwo Jima.
When Bisson's nephew Jerry Feustel of Sheboygan heard how his uncle's Purple Heart was lost when his parents moved off a family farm, he decided to do something about it.
After contacting Sheboygan Marine Recruiter Jeremy Garcia, who got the ball rolling, Feustel now has in his hands a replacement Purple Heart, nestled in a small jewelry case.
The medal is engraved on the back with the veteran's name.
On Saturday, July 7, Feustel plans to present his uncle with the medal during a surprise ceremony scheduled during an annual family picnic at Evergreen Park.
"When the Marine recruiter got it for me to give to Marcel, I knew the cost was $45, but they wouldn't take the money," Feustel said. "He said a decoration like this was already earned. There should never be a charge for it."
Ellie