US veteran gets Purple Heart medal two decades after he was supposed to receive it

Staff Sergeant Jason Wenk was awarded a Purple Heart – a US military decoration awarded to service members who were wounded or killed as a result of enemy action – 17 years ago, but never received the medal after his unit was disbanded.

That’s until two high school students working on a YouTube series about veterans found out about Wenk’s situation and got him a medal. It was presented to him at a ceremony at the Arizona Military Museum, where he was joined by local Purple Heart chapters, the Army National Guard, and those who served alongside him in Iraq.