Congressman Deluzio Replaces Lost Military Awards for Vietnam Veteran
CARNEGIE, PA – Leading up to Veterans Day on November 11th, Congressman Chris Deluzio (PA-17) is sharing a story of how his office recently helped a Vietnam veteran replace lost military awards. Aliquippa resident Mr. John M. Denk served in the U.S. Navy in Vietnam and earned several military decorations. After losing these awards, Mr. Denk worked for years to get replacements, to no avail. Eventually, he called the office of Congressman Chris Deluzio—also a Navy veteran—to ask for help. Congressman Deluzio’s office worked with the Department of the Navy to successfully get replacement awards, and he had the honor of presenting them to Mr. Denk and his family at an emotional meeting.
“My Western Pennsylvania constituent John Denk answered the call and served our country honorably in combat in Vietnam. He told me what it was like when he came home from the Navy, like a lot of Vietnam vets, and was made to feel shame for his service. It hurt,” said Congressman Deluzio. “Now, all these years later, my team and I are honored to help him get replacements for his lost medals and ribbons. ‘You don’t know how much this means,’ he told me. I shared a simple message: we're proud of him.”
The replacement medals and ribbons that Congressman Deluzio presented to Mr. Denk included:
- Combat Action Ribbon
- Meritorious Unit Commendation
- Navy Good Conduct Medal
- National Defense Service Medal
- Vietnam Service Medal (with three Bronze Campaign Stars)
- Honorable Reserve Discharge Button
Earlier this year, Congressman Deluzio helped another Beaver County family get the medals that their Grandpap earned in WWII but never received. This work is one of the many types of constituent services that Congressman Deluzio’s office provides to residents of Pennsylvania’s 17th Congressional District. So far, the office of Congressman Deluzio has closed the cases of more than 3,150 constituents. Residents of Pennsylvania’s 17th Congressional District can always request assistance with a federal agency by calling Congressman Deluzio’s office at (412) 344-5583 or submitting this online form.
Congressman Deluzio—a U.S. Navy veteran deployed to Iraq and at sea, and a graduate of the United States Naval Academy—is a leading voice in support of his fellow veterans. In Congress, he is a member of the House Armed Services Committee, a founding member of the Democratic Veterans Caucus, and has introduced legislation to award a Congressional Gold Medal to WWII Nurses, among many pro-veteran initiatives.
Photos from Mr. Denk’s medal presentation are available for use by the press here, with consent from the Denk family.
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