World War II Veteran Finally Receives Army Medals

NOVI, MI — Harold Ortwine has seen a lot in his 93 years. Having lived in Novi since 1931, he has seen it transform from a farming town into a modern suburb. Ortwine has lived through the Great Depression and the Great Recession. Now, some 72 years after defending his country in World War II, he has finally lived to see his Army service record restored.

On Monday, Ortwine received his Victory Medal and the Medal of Occupation in a ceremony at Novi city hall. When he was released from the Army in 1945, his documents indicated that he was released from the 104th division – which did not fight overseas – and not the 106th Division "Golden Lions" for whom he actually fought with, including at the critical Battle of the Bulge.

As a result, the Army withheld the medals and his service record was messed up. If not for the help of U.S. Rep. Dave Trott, Ortwine’s records may have stayed that way and he might not have received the medals that he earned.

“When the news came and I told him his records were finally going to be corrected and he was also going to be receiving a couple medals he was entitled to, his main questions was, ‘But are my records going to reflect the 106th division?’ That was all that mattered,” said his son Mark Ortwine.

Trott, a Troy Republican serving Michigan’s 11th district, and his office recently got involved. His office coordinated with several federal agencies to put together all of the information needed for Ortwine to receive his medals.

“Drafted at age 18, Mr. Ortwine served his country valiantly, defending our nation’s fundamental principles of freedom and liberty around the world,” Trott said in a press release. “It was an honor to present Mr. Ortwine with the medals he rightfully earned, a long overdue recognition of the bravery and heroism he embodied in the defense of the traditions built by the Americans before him and the promise of every generation to come.”

The issue had bothered Ortwine for decades. He attempted to obtain a copy of his military records in the late 1970s but discovered they were some of the records lost in the 1973 fire at the National Personnel Records Center in Missouri.

It was a tough pill for Ortwine and his family to swallow. It was, after all, in the United States Army’s 106th Infantry Division where he suffered first-, second-, and third-degree burns in a gasoline fire during basic training, and also where he lost several friends while fighting in the Battle of the Bulge in 1944-45.

Ortwine is very proud of his service. He still regularly attends reunions of the 106th Infantry Division, talks to John M. “Jack” Roberts on the phone and wears his WWII hat daily.

“As for my family, knowing he is happy is most important, but seeing him receive the long overdue honor and medals for his service makes us all very proud,” Mark Ortwine said.

Photos courtesy of U.S. Rep. Dave Trott and the city of Novi