releases: https://web.archive.org/web/20140221112316/http://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/?p=press_release&id=12020
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
This data as json
| url | title | date | year | month | party | chamber | state | member_name | bioguide_id | domain | scraper | source | date_source | text | has_text | collected_at | updated_at |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| https://web.archive.org/web/20140221112316/http://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/?p=press_release&id=12020 | McCaskill Secures Purple Heart for Farmington, Mo. Veteran | 2013-11-12 | 2013 | 2013-11 | Democrat | House | MO | Claire McCaskill | M001170 | web.archive.org | legacy | WASHINGTON - After being wounded in action during the Korean War, Missouri veteran Dencil Francis has finally received the Purple Heart he earned, thanks in part to the help of U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill. "I think it's one of the most important jobs I have," said McCaskill, a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and daughter of a World War II veteran. "Whether we keep our promises to veterans reflects on the character of our nation." After exaggerating his age for the opportunity to serve his country, a seventeen year-old Francis enlisted in the United States Army, serving as a light weapons infantryman in the 9th Infantry Regiment of the 2nd Infantry Division. On October 7, 1951, during the Battle of Heartbreak Ridge, Mr. Francis and a comrade carried a badly wounded soldier back 8 miles from the front line to a field hospital. Upon arriving at the hospital, it was discovered that Francis himself had been wounded. Mr. Francis spent the next five days in the hospital recovering, but he returned to his unit before he could be awarded the Purple Heart. Mr. Francis' youngest daughter, Tamara Seeck, made contact with McCaskill in September regarding her father's Purple Heart. At the request of McCaskill's office, the Army reviewed its records and determined that Mr. Francis should have been awarded the Purple Heart medal. McCaskill helped arrange a formal award ceremony for Francis, where he received his long overdue Purple Heart at American Legion Post 253. The Purple Heart is a military decoration awarded to members of the U.S. Armed Forces who have been wounded or killed in combat. Read more about McCaskill's work for veterans HERE ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |