Sixty-three year wait for Purple Heart

Antipodean Andy · Oct 12, 2008

WV War Hero Waits Over 60 Years for Recognition - WOWKTV.com

CHARLESTON -- Friday in Charleston, one man recieves the ultimate honor for the suffering he endured to protect his country.

Harold Payne was injured during World War II and became a prisoner of war. Decades later, he's finally honored.

"He's never going to forget the beatings he's never going to forget the wounds, the starvation," said LaDonna Craft, Payne's Daughter.

Payne, 84, knows about pain. In 1945 in World War II he was injured in a mortar blast and taken prisoner by the Germans.

"I was in a box car for 11 days, no food no water. People said how did you survive it? I don't know how I survived it either, but you survive it, you understand?" said Payne.

But 63 years have since passed and Payne had recieved no honor for his patriotism. No honor, until Friday.

To a standing ovation, Payne was pinned with not one but two Purple Hearts.

"He's so deserving of it and we're very proud of him and it's very emotional because it means so much to him and all of us that justice is being done today for him receiving this," said Craft.

Without anger, without frustration, with nothing but pride, Payne uttered words he'd been waiting 63 years to say.

"It's been a really long time a coming but you're welcome."

You may be asking, why did it take so long? Payne was never honored because his records were incomplete...some even missing. Payne says without the hard with of Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito, he still would be without that purple heart.
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