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Purple Heart returned to recipient’s family in York County

HANOVER, Pa. – Corporal William Frederick Zartman served in WWI. He was injured in France in July of 1918. Though the extent of his injury is unknown, he ...

HANOVER, Pa. - Corporal William Frederick Zartman served in WWI. He was injured in France in July of 1918. Though the extent of his injury is unknown, he received a Purple Heart. At some point, the medal went missing. Fast forward nearly a century later and the medal has been returned to Zartman's great nephew.

"I was really shocked to hear that I was next in line to come up and be awarded this medal," said Wayne Bowers.

"It's wild. It's awesome because you know that he fought for our country and got wounded which makes it even more precious to us," added Wayne's sister, Gloria Link.

The Purple Heart was returned to the family through the Purple Hearts Reunited organization. Since it formed in 2012, members of the organization have been able to reunite 200 families with the medals of their ancestors for free.

"It's a great honor to be able to find the proper home for your lost or stolen medals," said Michael Mescavage a Vietnam Veteran, Purple Heart recipient, and member of Purple Hearts Reunited.

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