Art Reinertsen's Purple Heart

Today is National Purple Heart Day. My cousins Don and Charlene LaFever recently donated to the Bovina Historical Society his uncle Carl 'Art' Reinertsen's Purple Heart, beautifully mounted and framed. While work continues on the BHS's museum, we've decided to display it at the Bovina Public Library. 

Art Reinertsen was killed during the D-Day invasion on June 7, 1944. I wrote about Art in this blog on June 6, 2019: Bovina (NY) History: D-Day and Art Reinertsen (bovinanyhistory.blogspot.com)

Charlene asked me about other Bovina Purple Heart recipients. The Purple Heart is awarded to those wounded or killed while serving on or after 5 April 1917, with the U.S. military. It was first awarded in 1932. 

I reviewed the Bovina Roll of Honor (Bovina (NY) History: Bovina Honor Roll (bovinanyhistory.blogspot.com) I do know that Eddie Davidson received a Purple Heart for his injuries when he was shot down over France in World War II and became a P.O.W. His Purple Heart is held at the Delaware County Historical Association. 

Another name on the Bovina Honor Roll, Marcus Young, was killed in action so he should have received the medal, though I'm still trying to verify its whereabouts. Navigator Allan Johnston was wounded in the war when he was shot down over France. He was able to escape from France, helped by the French underground. I'm assuming he received a Purple Heart but have reached out to his family to confirm this. More on his story is at Bovina (NY) History: Faces of Bovina - The Adventures of Allan Johnston. (bovinanyhistory.blogspot.com) 

I also know that Korean War Vet Leonard Cairns, who passed away last year, received a Purple Heart. 

Over a million Purple Hearts were awarded for service in World War II and over 100,000 for service in Korea. 

If anyone has more information on Bovina soldiers who received the Purple Heart, please let me know.

D-Day and Art Reinertsen

Today (June 6) is the forty-fifth anniversary of the D-Day invasion of Nazi-occupied France by the allies. One of the soldiers in the first wave of the invasion was Carl A. Reinertsen, known as Art. He was the son of Andrew and Sophie Reinertsen. Born in Bovina in January 1919, he entered service in the Army in November 1940. In August 1942, he sailed to England and served in North Africa and Sicily, where he received the Purple Heart.

Carl Arthur Reinertsen, photo courtesy of his niece Marie Burns

He became one of Bovina's World War II fatalities on June 7 when he was killed in action on the Normandy beaches of France. 
 

Death notice from an unidentified local paper, likely the Delaware Republican Express or the Walton Reporter

Art's death was also noted in the September 19, 1944 New York Times in it's regular listing of Casualty reports from the War and Navy Departments


A memorial service was held on July 16 at the Bovina U.P. Church. 

His body was brought back to the Port of New York in November 1947 and was later buried in the Bovina Cemetery. Below is the application for his headstone, provided by the U.S. government in 1948.

From Ancestry.com. U.S., Headstone Applications for Military Veterans, 1925-1963