One of my most prized possessions is my father’s Purple Heart Medal that he received during his tour of Vietnam. He always felt awkward having it knowing that many of his friends received them posthumously. A very humble man, he kept it hidden away for many years and I had not seen it until the day of his funeral. The widow of his best friend Nick handed it to me with a note:
“Four years ago, Nick died of cancer, and, in Nick’s final days, Doug paid him a visit and gave him the Purple Heart Medal he earned for his service to the U.S. Military. It was a very moving act of generosity, a symbol of Doug’s kind heart and we have always appreciated the caring gesture. Doug also stood up and spoke at Nick’s memorial service and the Purple Heart Medal has always been a reminder of Doug’s enduring compassion in Nick’s and our time of need.
We wanted to return the medal to you, with our great thanks, so it can serve to memorialize Doug the way it has helped memorialize Nick for us. We wish you strength during this difficult time and hope the medal can bring you the comfort it brought us.”
I felt both humbled and grateful to have my father’s medal returned to me. There’s probably a million stories of my father’s kindness that I’ll never get to learn about. But this medal will always stand as a reminder of one particular gift, and how it helped bring comfort to two different families during their time of need.
