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Veteran Received Medals in Mail; Ceremony Planned

Posted at 11:03 PM, May 23, 2013
and last updated 2013-05-24 14:14:19-04

ALLEGAN, Mich. – After receiving his service medals in the mail, including two purple hearts, Jason Wright’s wife Amy was upset with how they were presented.

“I felt my husband deserved a proper ceremony to recognize what he sacrificed while he served his country,” Amy Wright said.

The couple sat down with FOX 17 in February to tell what had been done. “I was disrespected, and it felt like a spit in the face,” Jason said that day.

After getting her husband’s story out there, things began to change. “Anytime I’m out, I usually get someone that walks up to me, that I don’t even know, ‘Hey you’re the guy,’” he gestured.

People have been expressing their support and how proud they are of Wright’s service to our country.

The couple also heard from high ranking officials including Congressman Fred Upton’s office. They later had a conference call with the Department of Defense.

“I got to say what I felt. They did apologize. They did say that it slipped through the cracks,” Amy Wright said.

Soon after, plans for a ceremony began to take shape. After weeks of coordinating schedules with Upton’s office, everyone agreed Memorial Day would be a good day to meet at Allegan’s American Legion and give Wright what he deserves.

There will be a pinning ceremony at the cemetery following the parade.

“I have a huge amount of gratitude for Jason’s [Veteran Administration’s] rep, Jeremy. He has helped us out a lot with this,” Amy said.

“I’d like to say thank you to everybody in Fred Upton’s office, as well as him and the American Legion,” Jason said.

What felt like a spit in the face, now leaves Wright with a change of heart. He said he felt “gratification”.

Follow Darren Cunningham on twitter @darrenfox17