World War II vet finally receives medals

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

It’s been more than seven decades since Orval Mullen served in the U.S. Army’s 4th Infantry Division – “the Ivy Division” — during World War II.

The local veteran, who participated in the Normandy Invasion, the Battle of the Bulge, and helped liberate the Dachau death camp, finally received the medals due him for his service during a ceremony held Wednesday at American Legion Post 178 in Van Wert.

Through the efforts of U.S. Representative Bob Latta’s office, Mullen received the decorations due him for his WW II service. The decorations included the Good Conduct Medal, Bronze Star Medal, Combat Infantryman’s Badge, American Campaign Medal, a Presidential Unit Citation, the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with four bronze service stars and arrowhead, a World War II Victory Medal, the Army of Occupation Medal with Germany clasp, the Belgian Fourragere, and an honorable service lapel button for World War II.

In addition, Mullen, who also celebrated his 95th birthday on Wednesday, received the Legion d’Honneur, France’s highest decoration, for his service in the European theatre of combat.

Congressman Latta was on hand to present the medals to Mullen, who he learned had never received the medals while conducting an interview with the ex-soldier for the Library of Congress’ Veterans History Project. Latta’s staff members then worked with the U.S. Army to rectify the situation.

“More than 70 years ago, Orval Mullen earned a number of prestigious medals and commendations because of his heroic actions in combat,” Latta said. “Unfortunately, a military oversight meant that he never received what was rightfully his.

“Our country is forever indebted to the members of the Greatest Generation, like Orval, that served with honor and bravery during World War II,” Latta added.

Mullen talked about participating in the Normandy Invasion, noting that, after spending a day at sea in a landing craft after the invasion was postponed a day, and being “seasick something fierce”, he went ashore on Utah Beach in the third wave of the invasion, approximately a half hour after the first soldiers hit the beaches.

The local World War II veteran became emotional as he talked about the invasion that took place June 6, 1944.

“There were lots and lots of landing crafts in the water, lots of bodies in the water,” Mullen said.

He also talked about his combat job of stringing communications wires, which also took him to front-line outposts, noting that his job “was a little hairy” at times.

He was wounded by shrapnel a month after the Normandy invasion during action as part of the “Battle of the Hedgerows” near the French town of Saint Lo, but remained in France, and later went into Germany, where he helped liberate prisoners at the infamous Dachau concentration camp.

Noting that there weren’t many World War II vets still alive, the 95-year-old said it was nice to finally get the medals he deserved.

“They told me when I got discharged that they didn’t have some of these medals that I was supposed to get,” Mullen noted. “They (said they) would give them to you later; well, it’s later now.”

Because it was his birthday, Mullen was also treated to cake and ice cream, as well as a chorus of “Happy Birthday.”