Illinois returns WWII Purple Heart to late veteran's grandson
Private First-Class Edward Gorski Jr., a Chicago native, enlisted in April 1944 after turning 18 that January. He was part of the Army's 65th Infantry Division — nicknamed the 'Battle-Axe Division.'
Gorski Jr. earned the Purple Heart during a nighttime mortar attack reminiscent of a scene in the HBO miniseries 'Band of Brothers' during the infamous Battle of the Bulge. Months later on May 2, he was seeking refuge in a foxhole when a fire lit by his fellow soldiers drew enemy fire.
The 19-year-old Chicagoan was shot in the face and nearly lost an eye, but survived.
Gorski Jr. also earned the European African Middle Eastern campaign medal with two Bronze Stars, a good conduct medal and combat infantry medal, according to his military records.
He returned home after the war and retired from a job in private security. In 1993, Gorski Jr. died of a heart attack at his Westmont home at 67.
Family always knew that if found, they wanted his grandson Shawn Gorski, who also is a U.S. Army veteran, to receive it.
The medal was returned as part Operation Purple Heart by the office of Illinois Treasurer Michael Frerichs. It's a mission that has now returned 14 lost Purple Heart's to veterans or families of veterans.
'Mr. Gorski Jr. epitomized the selfless dedication of the Greatest Generation,' Frerichs said. 'It is our duty to honor him no matter how many years have passed.'
'It wasn't in vain': 98-year-old local World War II vet receives France's Legion of Honor
The Purple Heart was among items in a bank safe deposit box submitted to the state treasurer's office in 2003. All of the Purple Hearts that have been returned or located and awaiting to be claimed come from safety deposit boxes.
Military medals are among the most difficult items to return because neither the Armed Forces nor the federal government maintain a comprehensive list of awardees, according to Frerichs.
Each bank determined the safe deposit box abandoned because the owner of the box had not touched it in several years. As a result, the contents were turned over to the Illinois State Treasurer's Office.
View the list of unreturned Purple Heart awards here. A video of the full ceremony is here.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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