Grand Haven Purple Hearts

Conklin served as a machine gunner in the 42nd “Rainbow” Division. During a barrage of artillery fire by the German Army, Conklin was gravely wounded. Three days later, he died of his wounds received in action. 

Petras wondered if Conklin ever received a Purple Heart medal for his sacrifice. He inquired locally but couldn’t find an answer. That’s when he decided to dig deeper, researching National Archives documents, military documents, and numerous publications pertaining to the 42nd Rainbow Division, tracing Conklin’s journey across France, during WWI, to the front line. 

Unfortunately, it was discovered that Conklin’s military personnel files were consumed in a warehouse fire just outside St. Louis, Missouri, in 1973. It seemed Conklin’s eligibility for the Purple Heart would forever be a mystery. However, Dr. Petras remembered finding a U.S. Army document recording Charles A. Conklin’s cause of death---died of wounds received in action. Petras submitted the document, and after review by the U.S. Army, received the news that  Charles A. Conklin was eligible to receive the Purple Heart medal. Representative Bill Huizenga posthumously presented Conklin’s Purple Heart medal at a ceremony in Grand Haven in 2020. 

Having helped honor Conklin with the Purple Heart medal, Petras wondered if the namesake of the VFW Post 2326 Grand Haven had received a Purple Heart medal for making the supreme sacrifice for his country: Alvin F. Jonker enlisted in Company F Grand Haven in 1917 and was killed in action in 1918. Once again, Petras discovered a key document which led to Jonker receiving the Purple Heart, posthumously. 

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Dr. Petras couldn’t stop there. He dug even deeper and found an additional 21 Grand Haven WWI soldiers who enlisted in Michigan National Guard Company F Grand Haven in 1917 and who were either wounded in action, died of wounds received in action or were killed in action. In his research, Petras found that four of the soldiers may have already received Purple Heart medals prior to 2000. However, 17 of the soldiers were deemed ready to submit for eligibility consideration. Following months of additional research and submissions, Petras was notified that all 17 Grand Haven WWI soldiers were eligible to receive the Purple Heart. 

The Grand Haven Purple Hearts Ceremony on January 21, 2023 is the culmination of much dedication and months of work on the histories of these 21 soldiers, and a long-overdue recognition of their sacrifice and service. Watch the video of the entire ceremony, which includes a reading of the recipients of the Purple Heart.