captions, page 1: Private Harvey Stevens

 

caption, page 6:

Purple Heart

Left: Members of the Stevens and Thurlow families gathered for a family portrait after WWI Private Harvey Stevens' Purple Heart medal was presented to his two surviving children. Below: U.S. Congressman Joe Courtney presents the Purple Heart medal and certificate to Phyllis Thurlow (in black) Stevens' daughter, and William "Bill" Stevens. Stevens' wife Floris Stevens sits to her husband's left.

 

 

By Linda Lemmon

Town Crier Editor

PUTNAM --- The fact that some 95 years had intervened  between Private Harvey M. Stevens' service and the presentation of his Purple Heart to his two surviving children was of no consequence. His son, William Stevens, and his daughter, Phyllis Thurlow, both cried. As did many Stevens/Thurlow family members watching with pride as U.S. Congressman Joe Courtney presented the Purple Heart certificate and medal to the pair.

Stevens was wounded by shrapnel while fighting in France in World War I.  Daughter Phyllis Thurlow said her father was very proud to serve his country. He often told stories about the war but scarcely discussed his being wounded.

Courtney, clearly thrilled at the prospect of presenting a medal for a World War I hero, told those attending that he was proud to listen to the stories of service of the family, from even before the Revolutionary War.

"These are amazing stories of our history," he said. He said the Purple Heart, created by George Washington, has always been the thread between present day and our past.

Ryan McKenna, who began as a veterans rep at Courtney's office in August, is a military man himself. He served three years in the 82nd Airborne and is currently in the Air Force Reserve. He said the paperwork for the Purple Heart for Stevens had been submitted to the National Personnel Records Center by his predecessor.

Carl Thurlow, a nephew, approached McKenna to ask if there was any word about his grandfather's Purple Heart. McKenna tracked down the paperwork, reworked it so that the medical evidence was conclusive and resubmitted the packet. This time it came through.

McKenna said he did the work in October/November and the medal arrived around the beginnin