Marines pay back service by reissuing hero’s medals
By Marie Szaniszlo
Sunday, April 16, 2006

They were assumed either lost in a hurricane when Ted Williams lived in Islamorada, Fla., or “borrowed” by Teddy Ballgame’s army of “friends,” says Williams’ lawyer,Peter Sutton.

But thanks to Sutton’s efforts, the U.S. Marines have agreed to reissue to Claudia Williams, Ted’s daughter and heir, the many medals her father earned during his nearly five years of duty in two wars.

“We would like to do something fitting and appropriate for this great American hero,” said Maj. Chris Hughes. “He gave up his greatest baseball years to serve his country.”

Williams served as a Marine pilot from November 1942 to January 1946, then reenlisted in May 1952 and was discharged as a captain in July 1953.

Among his many military honors: the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Air Medal with two gold stars, the World War II Victory Medal and the American Campaign Medal.

Sutton says Williams is considering allowing her dad’s medals for display at the National Marine Corps Museum when it opens this fall in Quantico, Va.

Hughes thinks that’s fitting.

“One can only imagine what (Williams) might have achieved, what records he might have broken, had he not (enlisted),” he said. ‘We have not forgotten that.”

Ellie