Deceased veteran's family receives medals earned during World War II

U.S. Rep. Jason Smith posthumously presented a Purple Heart and six other awards to the family of World War II veteran Eugene O. Hahs at Smith’s office Saturday in Cape Girardeau.

Hahs of Sedgewickville, Missouri, died Aug. 23, 2004, at the age of 83 — one day after Hahs’ family recounted of him telling of his memories of serving.

Soon after Hahs’ death, his daughter Gena Welker of Patton, Missouri, decided to look into what her father had accomplished during his time in the U.S. Army from November 1942 to November 1945.

Moments before the presentation Saturday, Welker said she knew her father had been awarded Purple Heart, but wasn’t sure whether there were any additional accolades he had received.

A family friend, retired U.S. Navy sailor Lawson Burgfeld, told Welker to contact Smith in hopes of somehow acquire a duplicate of Hahs’ Purple Heart and any other medals from when he served, she said.

An image of late World War II veteran Eugene O. Hahs of Sedgewickville, Missouri, is held by his great-grandson Blake Smith, 6, of Patton, Missouri, on Saturday at the office of U.S. Rep. Jason Smith in Cape Girardeau.Jacob Wiegand

“I called his office and they emailed me a privacy release form that I had to fill out,” she said of the speedy process that began in January. “I scanned that back to them and that’s how we started. I was really surprised when all this came together so fast.”

Burgfeld was the one responsible for “getting the ball rolling,” according to Welker.

He knew what kind of documents were needed, which included Hahs’ Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty paperwork. But Smith’s office deserves all the credit, Burgfeld said.

“All I did was tell her whom I thought she needed to see,” he added.

Hahs’ grandson Kirk Smith said it was “neat just to find out” there were more medals Hahs’ had been awarded.

Medals, including a Purple Heart, center, presented to the family of late World War II veteran Eugene O. Hahs are seen Saturday at the Cape Girardeau office of U.S. Rep. Jason Smith.Jacob Wiegand

“Grandpa never really talked about [his experiences]. He’s seen a lot of horrible things, I know that,” Smith said. “But he didn’t really talk about it, so we never knew.”

Welker said she’s not sure whether Hahs even knew about the medals.

At the presentation, Debbie Colyott, Rep. Smith’s constituent services specialist, said when Rep. Smith petitioned the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) to inquire about Hahs’ records, the office discovered his were within a portion damaged by fire in the 1970s.

“They’ve been able to, since the fire, distinguish which records, from H to Z, and which branch even, were damaged,” Colyott said. “So when we got the medals and not the story, as we call it, I called NPRC and asked, ‘Is there anything?’”

The awards presented Saturday are all that could “for a fact” be pieced together from the partially damaged records, she explained.

Gena Welker shares a laugh with U.S. Rep. Jason Smith as Welker and family are presented with medals of Welker's late father, World War II veteran Eugene O. Hahs, on Saturday.Jacob Wiegand

“So we don’t know what he got the Purple Heart for, but, hopefully, we can go to the archives and be able to find that,” Colyott added.

Colyott stressed the need to “tell our stories, especially our veterans,” as Rep. Smith began distributing the medals to the six family members huddled beside him — Hahs’ granddaughters Bridget Welker and Whitney Welker; grandson Kirk Smith and his wife, Kristy, and their sons, Riley, 10, and Blake, 6; and Hahs’ daughter Gena Welker.

“Tuesday, I got to meet the three World War II veterans that the president introduced at The State of the Union (address),” Rep. Smith said to the family. “It’s very special. There’s not too many [World War II veterans] left.”

Accolades presented by Rep. Smith on Saturday were the Purple Heart; a Good Conduct Medal; an American Campaign Medal; an Asiatic–Pacific Campaign Medal with Double Bronze Star attachment; WWII Victory Medal; a Philippine Liberation Medal with Triple Bronze Star attachment; and Honorable Service Lapel Button.

“He was the kind of person who never wanted any glory or attention from what he did,” Gena Welker said, while trying to hold back tears. “So proud, so proud. And like I said, he never knew all this.”

During a presentation of medals of late World War II veteran Eugene O. Hahs, his great-grandsons Blake Smith, 6, (right), Riley Smith, 10; his grandson Kirk Smith; his daughter Gena Welker; and his granddaughter Whitney Welker look at Hahs' medals Saturday.Jacob Wiegand

jhartwig@semissourian.com

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