Illinois Veteran's Long-Lost Purple Heart Medal Finds Its Way Home Ahead of Memorial Day

Purple Heart returned to family of Illinois WWII veteran

LANSING — In the hard-fought campaign to liberate the Philippines during World War II, 22-year-old Army Cpl. Henry Van Der Noord of suburban Lansing was hit with shrapnel during a key battle on the island of Luzon.

Illinois veteran's long-lost Purple Heart medal finds its way home ahead of Memorial Day

“That’s definitely it." A grandson gets a piece of family history back—nearly 80 years after WWII.

Illinois Family Reunited with WWII Hero’s Purple Heart Through State Initiative - Regional Media News

Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs has reunited a cherished piece of history with the family of late World War II Army Corporal Henry Van Der Noord from Lansing. Through Operation Purple Heart, Frerichs presented the corporal’s Purple Heart medal, marking the thirteenth successful return by this initiative, which locates and returns lost military honors to veterans’ families. The late Corporal Van Der Noord’s loved ones say the medal’s re…