One more Purple Heart Medal has been returned thanks to Operation Purple Heart – an initiative of the Illinois State Treasury to reunite 11 Purple Heart Medals with their rightful owners or their families.
In this instance, the family of Kenneth R. Wiest has now been reunited with some real recognition for the efforts of the now-deceased Army Specialist who served his nation in two separate conflicts.
As per the office of the Illinois State Treasurer, on Army Specialist Kenneth R. Wiest:
“Mr. Wiest was born on July 28, 1950, in Kelly Township, Pa. He moved to O’Fallon with his family when he was young. He was an Eagle Scout and a graduate of Mascoutah High School class of 1968. He entered the Army and went to Vietnam. When not deployed, he was employed as a logistics/computer program analyst for the United States Department of Defense. Mr. Wiest attended St. Clare of Assisi Catholic Church in O’Fallon, was a member of the Army Aviation Association of America and ran the Idle Hour Pool League for eight years. He was an avid animal lover who requested memorials to be made to the Humane Society.”
Wiest won his Purple Heart while in Vietnam, but also served in Desert Storm during his time in the Army. Wiest’s family also received his Gulf War service medals. He did not, however, reportedly speak very much about his time in the service; he passed September 4, 1998, at age 48.
Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs – who attended the service and spoke – noted that “Army Specialist Wiest served his country, and it is our duty to honor this soldier no matter how many years have passed.”
State Treasurer Frerichs also noted that returning such medals to families is often not easy because there are no standardized military records about who has received such honors.
Andrea Wiest Schone – the youngest of Kenneth’s four children, who initiated the medal retrieval process – said simply that “Dad was a good soldier, a loyal friend, and [a] dedicated father. My brother and sisters are grateful to have these medals that honor his legacy.”
The medals were in an otherwise forgotten safe deposit box that was submitted to the state treasurer’s office all the way back in 2019.
