Twelve Muskegon soldiers who served in World War I will be honored with posthumous Purple Heart medals at a ceremony on Sunday, Oct. 19, at 11 a.m. at the Muskegon Museum of History and Science, 430 W. Clay Ave. Because none of the soldiers have next of kin to request or receive the medals, Lakeshore Museum Center will accept them on their behalf. The medals will become part of the museum's permanent collection. 

The medals will be awarded posthumously to: 

Pfc. Raymond F. Wilder 

Pfc. John P. Stormier, Jr. 

Pfc. Thomas J. Shields 

Cpl. James G. Pearce 

Pfc. Edward Neal 

Cpl. William M. Jewell 

Pfc. Charles W. Grunwell 

Sgt. Frank Griswold 

Pfc. Floyd L. Gardner 

Pfc. Mack French 

Pfc. Frank A. DePetris 

Pfc. Floyd Bennett 

Gen. Ravindra "Ravi" Wagh, currently serving as Assistant Adjutant General – Army for the Michigan Army National Guard, will present the medals. 

"These 12 men served and sacrificed for their country, and for more than a century, no one was able to accept this honor on their behalf," said Lakeshore Museum Center Executive Director Melissa Horton. "We are deeply honored to welcome these medals into our permanent collection. Here, their stories will be preserved and shared with our community for generations to come." 

Each soldier enlisted or was inducted into service at Michigan National Guard Company G in Muskegon. In late summer 1918, while at Camp MacArthur in Texas, 91 of Muskegon's Company G soldiers merged with the entire Grand Haven Company F Guard unit. The new unit, Company L, became part of the 3rd Battalion, 126th Infantry Regiment, 63rd Infantry Brigade of the 32nd "Red Arrow" Division. 

The effort to secure the medals was led by West Michigan WWI military historian Dr. Chris Petras. Over the past eight years, Petras has researched and started the Purple Heart eligibility determination process for several West Michigan WWI soldiers. His work has resulted in more than three dozen Purple Heart medals being awarded posthumously to date. 

The ceremony will include a roll-call reading of the names of Muskegon's Purple Heart recipients, from World War I to the present. Speakers will include Wagh and Terry Sabo, Director of the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency. 

Seating for the ceremony is very limited. Those interested in attending are asked to RSVP to the museum by emailing marci@lakeshoremuseum.org or calling 231-722-0278. Community members unable to attend are invited to see the medals in person when they go on display in the museum's Muskegon County History Gallery.