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Box Elder vet receives delayed Purple Heart

Deseret News (UT) - 10/19/2014

OGDEN - Saturday was a big day for Roy Torgeson. So big that many of his friends and family came to Ogden to celebrate with him.

"I'm just grateful this thing is over with," said Torgeson while speaking with his daughter. "It's been a long time. A long time."

Saturday wasn't Torgeson's birthday. At 82 years old, he says he's had enough of those.

Instead, it was a day that should have happened six decades ago, and because of it, a ceremony held at the George E. Wahlen Veterans Home was all for him.

Torgeson was awarded the Purple Heart, one of the most recognized military medals, for those injured at war.

"I know that I earned it, and I earned it the hard way," he said.

During the Korean War, Torgeson was shot in the back of his hip.

It took until now for the U.S. government to officially say thank you. He said the military kept denying him the award for several reasons. But he kept writing letters to the government and got others to write letters, too.

"It's nice this has finally happened. He deserved it. Paperwork gets lost and things get swept under the bridge, but he deserves it," said Norman Nelson with the Veterans of Foreign Wars Utah Chapter. "How important is your freedom? They paid a price."

Now, 63 years, four months and three days later - not that he was keeping track - Torgeson said all the letters and phone calls paid off.

And it may take an Army to get the medal off of him.

"I'm going to wear it every time I get the opportunity - like, every day," he said with a laugh.

Email: acabrero@deseretnews.com

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