Korean War combat veteran Earl "Sonny" Meyer, 96, of St. Peter has just won another hard-fought battle, 73 years in the making.
For several years, Meyer's family and his attorney have campaigned the US Army to recognize wounds the lifelong St. Peter resident received in June 1951 while serving on the frontlines of the Korean War. His quest for a Purple Heart Medal commemorating his sacrifices faced rejection after rejection due to a lack of paperwork.
That was until last month, when the Army review board took into account new evidence and found that Meyer was wounded in action and deserving of the medal.
On Friday, Meyer stood proudly at the center of Gustavus Adolphus College's Christ Chapel as family, friends, neighbors and fellow veterans filled the pews to watch him receive his long-awaited Purple Heart.
The awards ceremony was a grandiose affair with officials like Sen. Klobuchar, St. Peter Mayor Shanon Nowell, Gustavus President Rebecca Bergman and senior enlisted officers of the Army National Guard Command Sergeant Majors John T. Raines and Jason Rost speaking at the event. Ever humble, the retired St. Peter farmer said he didn't expect such a large ceremony.
Of course, Meyer's sacrfices were certainly worth commemorating. Fghting against the enemy forces as a rifleman and machine gunner during the Korean War, Meyer spent many nights sleeping in foxholes in grueling, mountainous terrain. He saw many of his fellow soldiers lose their lives in battle.
It was June, 1951 when Meyer received the injury that earned him his Puprle Heart. His company was pinned by enemy machine gunfire when mortar shells reigned from above. Meyer was hit with a piece of shrapnel in his thigh during the onslaught. He still carries the shrapnel to this day, and the combat injury causes him occaisional pain.
The corporal of the 7th Division was treated in the field by a medic, who told Meyer he would put his name in for a Purple Heart. But Meyer's paperwork was never filed and he never saw the medic again.
Meyer was lucky to have made it out alive. Only four soldiers from his platoon had survived the battle. The veteran believes there's a good chance that in the chaos of war, the medic who put down his name was seriously injured or killed before his information could be delivered to the Army.
Paperwork was, of course, the last thing on Meyer's mind when he was making it out of the battlefield. But without it, Meyer was unable to receive the Purple Heart he had earned in combat.
Like many veterans, Meyer didn't talk much about the war. He preferred to put the memories of everything he had experienced far behind him. It wasn't until decades later, when Meyer told his daughters the story behind his injury, that they persuaded him to pursue his Purple Heart.
"It's quite a relief really," Meyer said, finally having one of the military's oldest and most recognized honors pinned to his chest. "I wouldn't have pushed it myself, but the girls they thought we should. They kind of took the lead."
When Meyer first applied for a Purple Heart in 2020, his application was denied, citing a need for more documentation. The office of Sen. Amy Klobuchar took up Meyer's cause and helped the family obtain additional documentation. Still, the Army board rejected his application. After numerous inquiries, Meyer's family filed a lawsuit in 2023 challenging the decision. A federal judge ordered the board give Meyer's application another review.
"There wasn't waiting line when they were signign up to become a soldier. And when they come home to America, there shouldn't be a waiting line for healthcare, or a job, or for housing or yes — there shouldn't be a waiting line for the Purple Heart they deserve," Klobuchar said to the crowd.
The case highlighted how difficult it can be for veterans to receive proper recognition when paperwork is lost in combat and decades have passed since the initial injury. But Meyer was hopeful that his victory would pave the way for other veterans to receive their honors.
"I'm sure it will help other veterans do the same," said Meyer. "[My attorney] Alan Anderson, that's one of the big reasons he's pushing this so hard is that he's working with other veterans."
During the ceremony, a national guardsman read aloud a letter from Sergeant Major of the U.S. Army Michael Weimer expressing gratitude to Meyer for his "selfless service and personal courage" displayed in the Korean War. The letter included a handwritten note at the bottom acknowledging how long Meyer had been waiting for his honor.
"Thank you for not giving up on us," Weimer's letter read. "Long overdue!"
Command Sergeant Major Jason Rost, who attended the ceremony in Weimer's place, expressed his own gratitude for Meyer's sacrifice. For Rost, the impact of Meyer's service was personal. He was born in Seoul, South Korea before being adopted by a Minnesota family.
"I'm certain that my life, and my service, would not be possible without the sacrifice and service of men and women like yourself," said Rost. "Thank you."
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