Delayed Honor

Serving in the military involves putting your life at risk, later rewarding the individual for their courage and bravery. Many of the soldiers who serve and fight on the field are later rewarded with medals to demonstrate their determination to succeed. But what if you happen to serve and didn’t get any medals until 75 years later? Seems absurd, but this really happened to a 103-year old World War 2 veteran named Peter Fantasia. He received eight medals including the Bronze Star, Good Conduct Medal, and the American Defense Service Medal at the ceremony. Although Peter seemed content and happy with the awards and “expressed gratitude for his comrades and said they were with him in spirit,” why did it take so long for him to receive his medals?

To some it would be somewhat of an insult to be having delayed for such a long time to receive some sort of reward, especially 75 years! Before we start blaming the American Government for having such a crappy system, let’s brush up on Peter’s history. As it turns out, he was captured in France while tending a wounded sergeant in 1944, and wasn’t released until nearly a year later in 1945 by the Russian forces. Because of this, it took Peter a long time to get back home and didn’t get a chance to get his medals. Thankfully he received the recognition he deserved, even if it is 75 years after the war.