EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WEHT) — A woman received a special birthday surprise in Evansville this weekend. Janice Batson was just 19-years-old when her husband Harold Henesy died in an ambush during the Vietnam War.
Harold was given a Purple Heart for his service and Janice kept it until she discovered Harold had a half-brother he never knew about.
In a selfless act, she gave the medal to his brother to allow him to be close to the brother he didn’t get the chance to meet.
Saturday, for her 75th birthday, that act of kindness was returned when she was surprised with another Purple Heart.
Her daughter tells us she organized the special moment after learning about the chance to get a replacement medal.
“I just wanted to make it special for her, turning 75 is special enough,” says her daughter Shannon Ulewicz. “You now giving something away that means the world to you, that is such a huge, generous act.”
In addition to it being Janice’s birthday, Saturday was also Armed Forces Day.
