99-year-old WWII vet awarded the Purple Heart at Fort Hamilton
An unsung Brooklyn hero, at Fort Hamilton on Friday, finally received the Purple Heart medal he earned and should have been bestowed upon him 77 years ago.
However, according to the Army, “Due to some of the racial inequalities at that time, his story had been overlooked for decades, despite rightfully earning this medal in the same historic battle.”
World War II Army private Osceola “Ozzie” Fletcher, now age 99, had been seriously wounded on June 6, 1944, during the Battle of Normandy, which began with “D-Day.”