World War I soldier from Michigan awarded posthumous Purple Heart
Pvt. 1st Class Frank Durkee was killed in action in World War I.
JACKSON, MI – Nearly a century after he was killed in action during World War I, Pvt. 1st Class Frank Durkee of Onsted was awarded a posthumous Purple Heart and World War I Victory Medal.
While researching his family's history, Durkee's great-grandnephew, Ann Arbor resident Elijah
Shalis, started the process of receiving the award by contacting U.S. Rep. Tim Walberg's office.
Shalis, 32, and a handful of family members gathered at the Onsted American Legion Post 550 that bears the late private's name Wednesday to see their heroic relative's story come full circle.
"It really means a lot actually. I've always been interested in history, and he sort of died heroically," Shalis said. "It means a lot that he's finally getting honored for the service. It's been almost 100 years since that day, so it's finally getting done so it's really nice."
Durkee, a member of Company B, 126th Infantry Regiment, 32nd Infantry Division, was serving in the American Expeditionary Forces in France in 1918.
On Oct. 15, he was sent on a forward patrol into German territory where he recovered key intelligence on enemy positions, Shalis said. On his way back to the American lines, Durkee was shot by a sniper and died between one and three days later, Shalis said, adding there's a discrepancy in records regarding Durkee's death.
The Purple Heart and World War I Victory medals awarded to the family of Pvt. 1st Class Frank Durkee.
"Private Durkee was just 22 years old when he gave the ultimate sacrifice for his country. Not only was he willing to leave the comforts of home to fight for freedom, but he was also willing to risk everything to help his brigade advance. It's been almost a century since his death but he will forever be remembered as a real American hero," Walberg said in a press release.
Shalis said although no living relatives are old enough to remember Durkee's life, it was important for Shalis to go through the necessary work to honor his sacrifice in battle. Because any relatives who might have known Durkee have died, Shalis said he and his family know very little about his personal life.
"Nothing was really passed down to the family," he said. "I just sort of discovered this when I was doing my genealogy. I wanted to honor his service to our country by trying to get the Purple Heart for him."
