Rep. Gallagher presents ‘long overdue’ medals to local WWII veteran

GREEN BAY, Wis. (WBAY) - A Green Bay man who served in World War II is receiving long overdue recognition for his service.

Representative Mike Gallagher this week presented Green Bay native Joe Mertens with medals he earned for his service in the Pacific theater during the Second World War.

A statement from Congressman Gallagher explains how Mertens joined the U.S. Navy just months before his 18th birthday in 1943 and went on to be stationed at Naval bases Gamadodo and at Gili Gili, where he played a role in helping U.S. forces liberate the Philippines and retake other key sites in the Indo-Pacific.

The medals presented to Mertens were the:

• Asiatic Pacific Combat Medal,
• World War 2 Victory Medal,
• Honorable Discharge Button, and the
• Honorable Service Lapel Pin (The Ruptured Duck).

“I’ve been honored to work with Joe’s family to get these medals he earned for his selfless service during World War Two,” Rep. Gallagher said in a statement. “As a member of the Greatest Generation, it is fitting that we honor him in this way. Through Joe’s service he not only defended our country but spurred on an incredible family tradition of service. Inspiring his son, Tom, to serve in Vietnam and his grandson, Greg, to serve in Operation Iraqi Freedom.”

According to a spokesman from Rep. Gallagher’s office, Mertens’ family said that when he finished with the Navy, Mertens didn’t want to wait around for his medals and just wanted to get home. Years later, his family sought the congressman’s assistance in getting the medals he earned from the Department of Defense.