St. Peter man finally awarded Purple Heart [Video]

ST PETER, Minn. — Nearly 74 years ago, America stepped in to help defend South Korea from the North.

According to The Pentagon, 54,000 U.S. soldiers were killed in the Korean War.

This week, a Minnesota veteran who put his life on the line during the conflict is finally getting the recognition he deserves.

Earl Meyer, 96, of St. Peter, was finally granted a Purple Heart after the Army denied his previous request because they say his documentation was insufficient.

The decision came after a campaignby his daughters and attorney. U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota championed his cause. The Army’s top noncommissioned officer — the sergeant major of the army — took an interest in the case after it had been rejected for years due to a lack of paperwork. U.S. District Judge John Tunheim this year ordered an …