Wounded soldier finally gets Purple Heart after Army ran out of them

Vet gets his Purple Heart
By Mark Sommer

News Staff Reporter


August 17, 2010, 8:19 AM

Spc. Earl Eisensmith received his Purple Heart Medal on Monday, nearly two years after the Orchard Park man suffered a broken back when his military vehicle struck an explosive device in Afghanistan.

The medal was presented in front of the downtown Purple Heart monument at the Buffalo & Erie County Naval and Military Park by Rep. Brian Higgins, D-Buffalo.

"Part of me feels guilty for receiving this medal because I know soldiers who have lost their lives and lost their limbs and received the same award as me," Eisensmith said in his brief address.

"But a part of me also feels that my fellow comrades that gave their lives for us would be proud that I'm receiving this award."

Eisensmith, 26, received combat badges and a Purple Heart certificate before leaving Afghanistan but was told the Army had run out of medals. He brought it up to his unit several times, and eventually, his father, Arnie Eisensmith, sought to get the medal delivered.
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