Press Releases

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – At 1:30 PM CT, on Tuesday, May 3, 2016, Congressman French Hill (AR-02) will present a Purple Heart to Edsel Smith, a Marine veteran who served in both World War II and the Korean War.

Mr. Smith was wounded in Korea during the campaign to take the Chosin Reservoir. Mr. Smith describes running out of ammunition while machine gun fire was hitting all around him. Although he was shot in the leg, he did not realize that he was bleeding until later that night due the extreme cold freezing the blood and sealing the wound. 

As his division was pulling back, Mr. Smith went to an aid station where a medic treated his wound and recommended him for the Purple Heart, but Mr. Smith never received that Purple Heart. This is mostly due to the fact that when he returned to Pusan five days later, he was sent to sick call, but never actually made inside the room because, as he puts it, “there were boys there that were a lot worse off than me, and I could smell bacon and eggs coming from the chow hall, so I went and had bacon and eggs.” 

After returning home from combat, Mr. Smith worked as an engineer for several radio and TV stations, including Channel 4 and Channel 7 in Little Rock.

The following event will take place at the Old Supreme Court Chamber in the State Capitol and will be open to the press:

Who: Edsel Smith and Congressman French Hill

What: Purple Heart Ceremony for Edsel Smith

When: 1:30 PM CT, Tuesday, May 3, 2016

Where:  Old Supreme Court Chamber, State Capitol, Little Rock, AR

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