Dustin Teays receiving his Purple Heart from US Senator Joni Ernst

On Memorial Day this year, one Guthrie County Veteran received his Purple Heart, 11 years after the events that qualified him for it.

Veteran Dustin Teays says that he began work to get the medal after he was out of the service, and had some help along the way. He tells Raccoon Valley Radio that for other veterans who believe that they may be eligible for a medal, advocating for themselves is the first step.

“Just because you’re out of the military, doesn’t mean it’s impossible. I would say that here in Guthrie County, the big person who helped me get through this process was the Veterans Affairs director here, her name is Beth Watson. She was a huge catalyst in helping me be able to go after this and get this done. She has all the right connections, she knows who to talk to, she knows what to do.”

Teays mentions that while it can seem like a daunting task, it’s a matter of knowing where to go and who to talk to to get the process rolling. He adds that the best thing to do is to get the process started and try, because it’s not impossible for veterans to receive medals they are eligible for years to decades after the events they participated in to make them eligible.