NH WWII veteran finally gets medals

BC-NH — Delayed Medals,0136

NH WWII veteran finally gets medals

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TILTON, N.H. (AP) — More than 60 years after he was discharged from the Army, a New Hampshire World War II veteran has received his medals.

Eighty-six-year-Roger Aldrich of Sugar Hill received the Good Conduct Medal and others at a ceremony Monday at the New Hampshire Veterans Home in Tilton.

For years, he doubted he would ever receive them. Records of his service, along with many others, were destroyed in a huge fire at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis in 1973.

He called Sen. Jeanne Shaheen’s office in July, which helped track down the paperwork and the medals.

Aldrich enlisted in 1942, rising to the rank of staff sergeant of the 62nd Engineer Company, verifying coordinates for bombing campaigns. He arrived at Omaha Beach two weeks after D-Day.