Daughter receives veteran father's medals

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Cortney Paxton
  • 341st Missile Wing Public Affairs
MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. --  "He was genuinely a hero, and that's something you and your entire family need to know."

These were the words spoken by Col. Robert Stanley, 341st Missile Wing commander, to Anna Gilmore during a ceremony recognizing her father. The ceremony, held in Stanley's office March 11, honored Army veteran Jose Elguezabal who died nearly 10 years ago.

Most of Elguezabal's records were destroyed in the fire of the National Personnel Records center in 1973. A recent search for his records, started by then Sen. Max Baucus' office and continued by Sen. John Walsh's office, recovered a few medals he earned during his service. Although the search will continue, Gilmore was presented with seven of her father's earned decorations and a flag flown over the nation's capital. These seven medals included the following:
  • Bronze Star Medal
  • Good Conduct Medal
  • European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal and Bronze Star attachment
  • World War II Victory Medal
  • Combat Infantryman Badge
  • Honorable Service lapel button
  • Marksman Badge and Rifle Bar
Many people were in attendance at the ceremony. Representatives of Montana's disabled veterans, Walsh's office and Malmstrom Air Force Base showed up to support Gilmore and honor her father. Gilmore's husband John, an Air Force veteran who served nearly 40 years at Malmstrom AFB's fire department, was also in attendance.

"It is my honor to present to Anna the medals that long ago should have been presented to her father...," Stanley said, reading the medals citation. "These decorations are important tokens of Jose's heroism. These decorations are also powerful reminders that we should never let a veteran's service go forgotten. These medals are presented on behalf of a grateful nation."

According to the citation and stories told by Gilmore, Elguezabal served in the Army during World War II. During the war, his platoon came under fire killing everyone but him. He was then captured by enemy forces and spent six months as a prisoner of war in France. Gilmore also believes her father was wounded while serving in the war.

Although documentation proving his time spent as a POW and eligibility for a Purple Heart has yet to be recovered, Gilmore's search is far from over.

"This is the first step of many," said Johnathan Kenneway, Great Falls field representative for Walsh.