Oak Lawn, IL – On the eve of Veterans Day, Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs reunited a family with a piece of World War II history — returning the Purple Heart medal of Army Rifleman James R. Bennett to his niece during a ceremony at VFW Post 5220 in Oak Lawn.
Bennett was twice wounded in combat — first in France on August 13, 1944, and again in Germany on December 13, 1944. He returned home a year later and lived in Oak Lawn with his wife, Ann. Their family’s story, marked by resilience and service, came full circle when Frerichs presented the medal to Bennett’s niece, Patti Knies, as part of Operation Purple Heart — a statewide effort to return lost military medals to veterans and their descendants.
“It is never too late to honor the men and women of the Greatest Generation,” Frerichs said. “Rifleman Bennett served his country honorably and humbly — and it’s our duty to ensure his sacrifice is remembered.”
The Purple Heart was discovered in a safe deposit box in Ann Bennett’s name and turned over to the Illinois Treasurer’s Office as unclaimed property in 2022. Under Frerichs’ leadership, Operation Purple Heart has now returned 17 medals to families — a record unmatched nationally.
Knies, who became guardian to the Bennetts’ daughter Susan after her parents’ passing, said, “He was such a wonderful man, and it is an honor to hold his Purple Heart. So many families sacrificed so much; it’s important they be remembered.”
