GREAT STORY: After 68 Years of waiting, a Hero receives the Medals He Earned

It could be said that Des Plaines resident Frank Andrews, 94, an Army World War II veteran, is a patient man. 

After all, he waited 68 years to receive the medals he earned during his service that included his actions on Omaha Beach on D-Day and later in the Battle of the Bulge. 

While Andrews received the medals in the mail over the summer, members of the Army's 85th Support Command in Arlington Heights decided a ceremony full of military pomp, color guard and music was in order.

The mission was kept a secret until Sunday, when Andrews arrived at the First Division Museum at Cantigny Park in Wheaton. There, more than 150 people, including his family, local officials and more than 80 military members, had gathered to surprise him with an elaborate ceremony. 

"I thought they were going to present me with the medals and then say 'Adios,'" said Andrews after the ceremony. "This was a complete surprise. I never expected this."

Andrews, a native of Chicago, was drafted in 1943. He served in the infantry and later in the Army Air Forces as a signalman. He was injured twice before being discharged in 1945. He earned several medals that included the Purple Heart, Good Conduct Medal, American Defense Service Medal, American Campaign Medal, WWII Victory Medal and the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal. 

However, Andrews never received them. At the time, he didn't inquire why. 

"I had a son who was 3 years old and I didn't have a job and I had to go and hustle, so medals didn't mean anything back then," Andrews said.

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