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To: fugazi
USS South Dakota in 1943 Injured in the attack on South Dakota is 12-year-old Seaman 1st Class Calvin L. Graham, who lied about his age that summer to join the Navy. Graham earns the Bronze Star with Combat "V" and the Purple Heart during the battle. Shockingly, Graham is thrown in the brig for three months, dishonorably discharged, and has his medals stripped when the government learns his actual age. He enlists in the Marine Corps when he turns 17.

Were they EVER reinstated? IF not, This must be rectified....................

3 posted on 11/15/2018 1:04:57 PM PST by Red Badger (We are headed for a Civil War. It won't be nice like the last one....................)
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To: Red Badger

According to Wikipedia he got stuff reinstated, including pension and medical benefits, in dribs and drabs over the decades. The purple heart was reinstated two years after his death.


11 posted on 11/15/2018 1:14:15 PM PST by Flash Bazbeaux
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To: Red Badger; fugazi

Per Wikipedia...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calvin_Graham

In 1978, he was finally given an honorable discharge for his service in the navy, and after writing to Congress and with the approval of President Jimmy Carter, all medals except his Purple Heart were reinstated. His story came to public attention in 1988, when his story was told in the TV movie, Too Young the Hero. He was played by Rick Schroder.[11]

In 1988, he received disability benefits and back pay for his service in the navy after President Ronald Reagan signed legislation that granted Graham full disability benefits, increased his back pay to $4917 and allowed him $18,000 for past medical bills, contingent on receipts for the medical services.[11][12] By this time, some of the doctors who treated him had died and many medical bills were lost. He received only $2,100 of the possible $18,000. While the money for the rights to his story for the movie, Too Young The Hero amounted to $50,000, 50% went to two agents and 20% went to a writer of an unpublished book about Graham. He and his wife received just $15,000 before taxes.[13]

Death
Graham’s Purple Heart was finally reinstated, and presented to his widow, Mary, on June 21, 1994, by Secretary of the Navy John Dalton in Arlington, Texas, nearly two years after his death from heart failure.[10][14] He was buried at Laurel Land Memorial Park in Fort Worth, Texas.[15]


16 posted on 11/15/2018 1:21:33 PM PST by ro_dreaming (Chesterton, 'Christianity has not been tried and found wanting. It's been found hard and not tried')
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To: Red Badger
They were.

Sounds like the kid had enough guts for three people.

20 posted on 11/15/2018 1:55:17 PM PST by wbill
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To: Red Badger

There is an underage veterans org. They published some books with short biographies of their service. This was not a rare event in WW2.


32 posted on 11/15/2018 2:58:37 PM PST by lodi90
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