World War II veteran receives Purple Heart 81 years after Rhine wound

A Kentucky World War II veteran who was injured fighting against Nazi Germany has finally received one of the nation’s most glorious military awards after more than eight decades of waiting.

Glenn Fisher lived for 81 years without the Purple Heart he believes he earned on the battlefield in World War II. On Wednesday, the 99-year-old Army veteran finally received that award.

“I was so excited, I couldn’t sleep at night thinking about how amazing it was,” Fisher said at the ceremony Wednesday at the Frazier History Museum in Louisville. “Sometimes you wake up and wonder ‘is this really true?’ I would say. And that’s really true.”

The Purple Heart, awarded to U.S. soldiers wounded or killed by enemy action, comes just months before Fisher’s 100th birthday and follows years of unsuccessful efforts to get official recognition of wartime injuries.

‘NO ONE SHOULD GO ALONE’: 1,500 STRANGERS Honor World War II Veteran whose family remains unknown

WHAS11 first reported The story of Fisher trying to get the award before he turns 100 in March.

According to WHAS11’s previous report, Fisher enlisted in the military in 1943 when he was just 16 years old, after receiving permission from his parents. He later landed at Utah Beach, France, and was wounded while waiting to cross the Rhine River after German artillery attacked his unit on 25 March 1945.

Fisher has previously said that his wounds during the war were never properly documented, which delayed his receipt of the Purple Heart award.

“I never heard back from them,” Fisher previously said of one of his first attempts to get the medal.

He said he tried again years later, but the Army informed him it could not find enough evidence to approve the award.

‘NO ONE SHOULD GO ALONE’: 1,500 STRANGERS Honor World War II Veteran whose family remains unknown

Glenn Fisher poses in his Army uniform during World War II. Fisher was awarded the Purple Heart in 2026 after waiting decades for recognition for his wounds suffered in combat. (WDRB)

Despite these setbacks, Fisher remained well-known with the help of his longtime friend Jeff Thoke, who spent years researching Fisher’s military service and compiling hundreds of pages of historical records for military officials.

“He represents the best of America,” Thoke said Wednesday. “We can’t thank him enough for everything he’s done. He loves his country; he’s one of the most patriotic men.”

According to previous news reports, Fisher was serving with the Army’s 556th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion. He fought during the Battle of the Bulge before being wounded near the Rhine River in the final months of World War II.

A file photo shows an example of the Purple Heart medal Fisher received 80 years after he was wounded in battle. (AFP via Getty Images)

WHAS11 reported Fisher returned to his unit weeks after being wounded, then encountered Soviet forces at the Elbe River the day before Victory in Europe Day, and served as part of President Harry S. Truman’s official escort during Truman’s arrival in Antwerp, Belgium, before eventually returning home.

Wednesday’s ceremony appeared to symbolize the end of a journey that Fisher has followed for decades.

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD FOX NEWS APPLICATION

“That’s really true,” he said.

Fox News Digital reached out to the U.S. Army for additional information about Fisher’s Purple Heart but did not immediately receive a response.