Terry King, the son of Purple Heart recipient Melvin B. King, accepted a commendation in honor of his father, who died of cancer in 1991. “I couldn’t have had a better father,” Terry said. (SUBMITTED PHOTO)
Continuing West Liberty’s commitment to honor residents who’ve received the Purple Heart, the village’s chief of police, Shane Oelker, presented commendations to two more men, Melvin B. King and Jack S. Makemson, on Monday, Aug. 7, at the town hall.
King, who passed away in 1991, was in the United States Army during World War II.
Injured in the D-Day invasion of Normandy, King was awarded the Purple Heart on July 12, 1944. His son, Terry King of Johnstown, was on-hand Monday night to accept the recognition.
“He didn’t talk about his service until he was sick with cancer,” Terry said. “Then he was willing to share.”
Makemson, who was unable to attend the presentation, served as an Army SPCH during the Vietnam War, from 1967 to 1968.
A machine gunner, Makemson and other soldiers attempted to escape gunfire by jumping in a river. In the process, he took a piece of metal in his eye, which led to the permanent loss of his eyesight.
“This makes 24 Purple Heart veterans,” Jill McKelvey, West Liberty mayor, said. “For a village our size I think that’s pretty amazing.”
If you know someone from the village who received a Purple Heart, contact the West Liberty clerk’s office at (937) 465-2716.