MAGNOLIA, New Jersey (WPVI) — Corporal Frank Humes’ Purple Heart has traversed a number of continents and handed by totally different arms throughout a number of a long time. But now it has lastly returned dwelling.

Frank was drafted into the U.S. Army in November 1968. He was simply 19-years-old. He served as a sniper for Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol. His vacation spot: Vietnam.

Frank went out on a three-man LRRP mission and was inserted into Vietnam by way of rope ladders.

“On the day he died, they had been inserted into an area where there was a Viet Cong battalion. So as soon as they hit the ground, they were in a firefight,” mentioned Frank’s brother, William.

Frank was shot behind the top. He was awarded two Purple Hearts, the Silver Star and two Bronze Star Medals.

William mentioned he by no means discovered the precise particulars of his brother’s loss of life till a 2002 reunion with Frank’s fellow service members. That’s when he was blown away by two of Frank’s teammates, together with Larry Flanagan.

“I felt a bond with them,” mentioned Williams. “They talked about him like he was their brother, so I returned it — gave them the Purple Hearts.”

Larry Flanagan died in October 2021 from pulmonary fibrosis, probably associated to Agent Orange publicity. When his daughter found the Purple Heart amongst his belongings, she knew it wasn’t her father’s. So she referred to as John Duffy who served with each Frank and Larry.

“Purple Heart means a lot,” mentioned John Duffy, a Vietnam War veteran of Quincey, Mass. “You can’t just leave those things go. You either have to give it to the person or the family. So I figured sooner or later, I’d find him.”

And 9 months later, he discovered William. John drove six hours to return the Purple Heart in particular person.

“That’s real brotherhood,” mentioned Humes. “Real brotherhood. He could have just mailed it, but he drove it. So that means everything.”