Grassley honors two Iowa Purple Heart recipients

DES MOINES - Iowa Sen. Charles Grassley honored two wounded Iowa veterans Tuesday by presenting them their Purple Heart medals while working to mend fences with an important election-year constituency group in the process.

Grassley got choked up at times during an informal ceremony at his Des Moines offices where he presented Purple Heart medals to Don Coderre of West Des Moines and Frank Hawk of Norwalk.

Coderre was wounded in action in 2006 while serving in Iraq as an Army specialist during Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Hawk was wounded in Vietnam while serving from 1967 to 1969 as an Army specialist in an air mobile brigade dropped off by helicopters to assist fellow soldiers in engaging enemy fire.

'Every time the helicopters came in, we knew we were going out to help somebody else get out of trouble. I wasted a lot of ammunition but it was for a good cause,” Hawk told reporters after the ceremony. 'You see things and do things that you're not always proud of, but that's part of war.”

Grassley helped both veterans provide documentation to the Army Review Board and battle through paperwork delays and bureaucratic red tape to receive their medals. He told the veterans and their family members in attendance that he wanted to personally make the presentations 'because I don't think we take enough time to thank the people who have served and those who have been injured in the process of serving” to protect freedoms and liberties most Americans take for granted.

Hawk called the honor 'awesome” to be able to share it with his loved ones - including six grandkids jammed together on a sofa. He said he went through the tough years when 'I couldn't even talk about it” until he received services from the Veterans Administration which he showered with praise.

Coderre said he spent nearly a decade battling paperwork snafus that finally ended when Grassley handed him the Purple Heart to go with an Army Commendation Medal, a National Defense Service Medal, a Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, an Iraq Campaign Medal with a bronze service star, an Army Service Ribbon, an Overseas Service Ribbon and a Combat Infantryman Badge he earned during his service.

'It meant a lot. It's been 10 years in the making,” said Coderre, who expected some day to pass his Purple Heart onto his now 6-year-old son.

Coderre was the only one Tuesday to address the 'elephant” in the room given the backdrop of political controversy over GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump's recent comments about a Gold Star family who lost their Muslim son in combat and previous statements about Arizona Sen. John McCain's time as a prisoner of war.

'I dislike it, extremely, especially what (Trump) said about McCain, about being captured and being a prisoner, I thought it was low. I don't care who you are, that's just something that you don't say about a veteran, period,” he told reporters. Coderre said he viewed the latest controversy over fallen U.S. soldier Humayun Khan as 'dirty politics” where both sides 'turned a war hero into a talking point and it's disgraceful.”

For his part, Grassley steered clear of 2016 election politics Tuesday, telling reporters he did not want to detract from an occasion meant to honor and thank two soldiers who were wounded in battle.

'We came to honor two people who shed blood so that you and I could enjoy our freedoms and I'm not going to say anything that detracts from the solemnity of this ceremony because I think we don't often in this country do what we can to show our appreciation for the people in the military,” said Grassley.

Ironically, Tuesday's ceremony came in close proximity to an event in Virginia where a man handed Trump what media reports said was a copy of his Purple Heart, prompting the GOP presidential candidate to note: 'I've always wanted to get the real Purple Heart.' This was much easier,” inviting the veteran on stage.

Meanwhile Tuesday, Grassley's 2016 election opponent, Albia Democrat Patty Judge called on him to join her in demanding Trump apologize to the Khan family.

'Our military families deserve much better from a presidential nominee,” Judge said in a statement. 'Chuck Grassley should join me and demand an apology from Donald Trump – the candidate he trusts to lead this nation – as anything less than an apology is an affront to the brave men and women who have served this nation.

'Iowans will not ignore these despicable statements, nor will they forget Grassley's refusal to stand up to Trump,” she added. 'We can never dismiss the sacrifices our veterans and their families make for our nation, but that's exactly what Donald Trump is trying to do.”