Ardsley woman donates Purple Heart to wounded Korean War vet

Rachael, an Ardsley woman who is married to a Gulf War veteran, had a Purple Heart that she was willing to give to 92-year-old Bill Robertson - and she did as News 12 cameras were rolling.

News 12 Staff

Jan 21, 2021, 7:21 PM

Updated 1,435 days ago

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A wounded Korean War veteran from Yorktown who said his repeated request for a Purple Heart were ignored had his wish come true - and News 12 was there to film it.
Last month, News 12's Tara Rosenblum profiled 92-year-old Bill Robertson on Veterans Day. Robertson says despite his injures decades ago, his requests for a Purple Heart were ignored after his military records were destroyed in a fire.
He turned to News 12 after years of appeal to the U.S. government went nowhere.
After Turn To Tara's story, Robertson's appeal went viral.
He says the phone started ringing nonstop at the VFW Post in Yorktown Heights. He got calls from someone in Colorado - and then someone much closer to home.
Rachael, an Ardsley woman who is married to a Gulf War veteran, had a Purple Heart that she was willing to give to Robertson - and she did as News 12 cameras were rolling.
Rachael had kept the Purple Heart for 30 years. She says she bought it when was 18 sand saw it in an antique store with her parents.
Now that Robertson has his medal, Yorktown Town Supervisor Matthew Slater says he will now help Robertson in his fight to get the government's benefits associated with his new Purple Heart.
The story also prompted the town supervisor to create a special Veterans Advisory Committee.
"When I heard about it, I said we can do more as a community for our veterans," says Slater.