On 16 January 2015, Purple Hearts Reunited and the Military Order of the Purple Heart conducted a public ceremony to return the lost military medals of CPL Raymond Edward Paradowski. Paradowski’s Purple Heart was returned to the family of Korean War veteran CPL Paradowski. In conjunction with the Military Order of the Purple Heart (MOPH), and funded by contributions from the Haley-Nichols Fund and the Mabee Family Foundation, Purple Hearts Reunited conducted the ceremony at the Milwaukee County War Memorial Center at 750 N. Lincoln Memorial Drive in Milwaukee, WI. Both medals were found in a filing cabinet by MOPH National Service Officer Cynthia Tesch, who contacted Fike at Purple Hearts Reunited for assistance and was present at the return ceremony.

Raymond Edward Paradowski was born on 25 November 1931 in Milwaukee, WI to Bernard and Rose Paradowski. He enlisted into the Army on 17 January 1949, and served in the Korean War with the 19th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division. He earned his Purple Hearts for wounds received in action on 20 July 1950. CPL Paradowski survived the war and was discharged on 18 April 1955. He passed away on 09 June 1996 and is buried in the Wood National Cemetery, Milwaukee, WI. Inexplicably, CPL Paradowski’s Purple Heart was turned in anonymously to the City of Brookfield Police Department in WI on 30 July 2006. Detective Patrick Kemp sent the medal to a Veterans Affairs office in Milwaukee with hopes a family could be found. After all these years, Purple Hearts Reunited returned the medal to CPL Paradowski’s brother Gilbert Paradowski and daughter, Ann Diamond.

This medal return was generously sponsored by the Haley-Nichols Fund.

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