A 93-year-old veteran on hospice in Dayton was honored with a Purple Heart coin for his service, and injuries sustained in the Korean War.
Leroy Campbell received the coin while his purple heart medal was being made, but VA officials say Campbell may not live long enough to receive the medal. He’s currently a resident at the Dayton VA's hospice center.
Campbell’s family members said the veteran is one of the last two survivors who were with the U.S. atomic bomb testing program.
The VA said just a few days before the Korean War ended, the veteran was injured in an explosion that killed three others.
During the ceremony he detailed how his life was saved.
"When I got into the bunk," Campbell recalled. "Sgt. Caesar stood up in front of me and said there's a sergeant there that wants to see you. And a mortar the round come in and blew me right out of the bunker and it’s only because Sgt. Caesar stood between me and this other sergeant … so actually he saved my life."
The veteran and his family were joined at an April 15 ceremony by the Ohio Commander of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, Dayton VA leaders and a representative from U.S. Rep. Mike Turner’s office.
Campbell's family said Turner was instrumental in getting him the purple heart designation.
Campbell was a member of the U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne Division.
