After 50 Years, Korean War Veteran Receives Medals

William Cohn was supposed to have gotten four medals for his service in the infantry in the Korean War from 1953 to 1954. Nearly six decades later he finally received them.

The medals include: National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Service Medal & Bronze Star, the Combat Infantryman Badge 1st Award and the United Nations Service Medal.

The 81-year-old veteran from Atlantic Beach had gone for decades without his medals until advised by another veteran to contact , whose office had helped him in the same situation.

After investigating with the National Personnel Records Center and U.S. military, McCarthy presented Cohn with his medals Monday in a ceremony in her Garden City district office.

“I was in the right place at the wrong time, or the wrong place at the right time,” Cohn said of how he came to be awarded the medals.

“Mr. Cohn is a national hero for putting his life on the line for our freedom,” Rep. McCarthy said.  “I’m proud to do whatever I can to help him and any veteran I represent here on Long Island.”

Veterans living in the Fourth Congressional District who have not received medals they earned while serving, or having any other problems related to their service, are encouraged to contact Rep. McCarthy’s district office at 516-739-3008 for assistance.