Скачать или смотреть Vietnam vet honored with delayed purple heart after 44 years

There are some things in life that are worth waiting for. Only in the case of Golden Valley resident Fred Jenness, he's had to wait a lot longer for the Purple Heart than most.

"This is an award that is long overdue for a man who gave so much for his country," Sen. Amy Klobuchar said at a ceremony Monday morning in Golden Valley.

In 1969, Jenness was a combat engineer in the U.S. Navy supporting the intelligence community of South Vietnam.

"On Dec. 19, 1969, Fred was wounded in combat when the enemy attacked his team's compound," Klobuchar said.

Despite the injury to his right leg, he never sought recognition for his sacrifice until a friend encouraged him to do so in 2004. However, Jenness found out the Navy had no record of his service.

"It was hard to get those records. They were classified," Klobuchar said.

But this past September, Jenness gathered all of those records, and with Senator Klobuchar's help, he finally got his special day.

"After 44 years, I'd like to remember the Seabee team, all 12 who have passed on before me today," Jenness said after he received his Purple Heart. "Thank you for this honor, I did not expect it."

The people in his combat engineering team weren't present to see this day. Instead, Jenness was surrounded by his friends and loved ones. But as he proudly wears the Purple Heart on his chest, it serves as an honor for all in his Seabee unit.

"It was a team effort, and we would have never survived the six different combat actions we were in if it hadn't been a team effort," Jenness said.

Fred Jenness is now retired, but he spends every week volunteering at the Minneapolis veterans hospital. In addition to the Purple Heart, he also has a Combat Action Ribbon for his service in Vietnam.

Delane Cleveland

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