Illinois Treasurer Returns 14th Purple Heart to WWII Family in Geneva

Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs returned a lost Purple Heart medal to the family of World War II veteran Private First-Class Edward Gorski Jr. during a ceremony at American Legion Post 75 in Geneva, marking the 14th medal returned under Frerichs' Operation Purple Heart initiative. Gorski Jr., who served in the Army's 65th Infantry Division and fought in the Battle of the Bulge, was wounded in 1945 while protecting a fellow soldier during a mortar attack. The medal had been misplaced after Gorski's death in 1993 and was eventually turned over to the treasurer's office as unclaimed property from a bank safe deposit box. Frerichs launched Operation Purple Heart in 2021 to return unclaimed combat medals to veterans' families, emphasizing that these honors deserve to be with families rather than locked away. Shawn Gorski, the veteran's grandson and an Army veteran himself, expressed deep gratitude and pride upon receiving the medal, highlighting the importance of preserving his grandfather's legacy and the values the medal represents. The initiative continues to recover and return Purple Hearts, with eight more medals currently held in the state vault awaiting rightful owners.