Medford, MA – The Military Order of the Purple Heart held a ceremony this morning to return the Purple Heart to the family of First Lieutenant Thomas Erle Hadley II.  Lieutenant Hadley served as a pilot and flew the F-80C Shooting Star fighter interceptor with the 36th Fighter-Bomber Squadron during the Korean War.  On November 9, 1951, he was killed in action near Kangdong, North Korea while flying a combat mission.  Lt. Hadley was issued the Purple Heart for his valor and sacrifice for his country.  His Purple Heart was lost in the 1950s and found by Larry Moore in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania.  Mr. Moore contacted the Military Order of the Purple Heart who arranged to present the medal to Hadley’s sister, Connie Hadley Bachman today in Lexington, Massachusetts.

“Thomas Hadley made the ultimate sacrifice during the Korean War, and I am honored to join with his family in recognizing his courage, patriotism, and valor with the awarding of the Purple Heart,” said Rep. Markey, dean of the Massachusetts Congressional delegation. “More than  54,000 American lives including Thomas Hadley's were lost during the Korean War.  We never will forget the sacrifices that each of those brave men and women made for our country.”

The ceremony took place at 11 am at the Brookhaven Retirement Community Auditorium before family and friends of Lt. Hadley, including his sister Constance Hadley and her husband Charles W. Bachman of Lexington.  Rep. Markey joined State Representative Jay Kaufman and Captain Zachariah Fike of the Military Order of the Purple Heart to honor Lt. Hadley’s service.