Vietnam War Veteran Gets the Purple Heart Medal He Earned More than 40 Years Ago

U.S. Sen. Charles E. Schumer, D-NY, has presented Jim Smith of Rye Brook with his long-awaited Purple Heart award that he earned due to injuries he suffered while on patrol over 40-years ago during the Vietnam War.

Following outreach from Smith to Schumer’s Office, Schumer launched an all-out offensive for Smith, and presented new evidence to the Army, including additional witness testimony from Smith’s Platoon Medic, “Doc” Lynch, and medical records from a Battalion Aid Station. Senator Schumer announced that he successfully petitioned the U.S. Army to approve Smith’s long-overdue Purple Heart. 

Jim Smith served in the 25th Infantry Division as a Combat Infantryman from January to November 1970. After returning from two months in Cambodia, a member of his squad tripped a booby trap resulting in wounds to himself and three other men. Smith suffered serious shrapnel injuries to his arms and legs, neck trauma, and a temporary loss of hearing. He originally applied to the review board in September 2010 but was denied in May 2011 despite evidence of men treated on the field or at a Battalion Aid Station on that day.

Smith contacted Schumer in August 2012. Schumer’s office helped collect the testimony used as evidence to secure Smith’s long-awaited recognition.

“I am honored to pin the long-overdue Purple Heart medal upon his uniform,” said Schumer. “With humility and patience, Jim Smith has waited for his due recognition. I have worked for months to help him gather and present the evidence that would prove once and for all that he absolutely deserves this award. The final packet submitted to the Army includes new testimony from multiple eyewitnesses including his platoon medic, and today’s presentation of this award makes the effort worth the while.”

Schumer joined Jim Smith, his wife Joann Smith and family, as he presented the Purple Heart medal in person. Also in attendance were friends of Smith and members of the Rye Brook and Westchester County community.

When Schumer learned of Smith’s case, his office searched for additional evidence to support Mr. Smith’s Purple Heart. Schumer’s staff worked with a number of people and agencies, including: other soldiers wounded in the same attack as Smith, the medic on hand that treated Smith and his fellow soldiers, the VA and the Army.

The Purple Heart is awarded to service members who are wounded as a result of enemy action. It is a symbol of honor, reflecting a service member’s self-sacrifice in defense of our country. No one can be “recommended” for a Purple Heart; rather, it is an award that is automatically bestowed upon anyone who meets specific criteria and can prove it with service medical evidence and personnel records. Unlike other awards, there is generally no flexibility when it comes to the Purple Heart.

The testimony Schumer’s office was able to collect on behalf of Smith left no question regarding Smith’s qualifications for a Purple Heart. For example, the documents Schumer presented to the Department of the Army included a confirmation from his platoon medic Doctor Kary Lynch – or “Doc Lynch” as the soldiers referred to her – that she treated Jim on the day he sustained his injuries.

The testimony also included sworn statements from two of the other men wounded with Smith, one of whom had received his Purple Heart 43 years ago for the injuries he sustained during the same explosion. Schumer said he convinced the U.S. military to approve the Purple Heart for Jim Smith.