Back in the early 1950’s, the United States got involved with a crisis between North and South Korea.  We sent thousands of soldiers there to protect the South Koreans from their nemesis the North Koreans.  During that conflict, hundreds of our men were wounded or worse and one of them wounded was 4 Hooves (Roy Torgeson).  Roy spent weeks in the hospital recovering from his wounds and then was sent home, a hero in every respect.  Usually, when a soldier gets wounded in battle, the records are clear and orders are cut recognizing the fact and a Purple Heart is awarded.  Along with the Purple Heart award comes a token amount of monthly compensation.

In Roy’s case, there was no such award nor compensation.

Roy spent years and years sending letters and trying his best to make the Commanders realize this error, but to no avail.  And then the warehouse that held all the military records in Kansas City burnt to the ground, taking with it all the records that were stored there….Roy’s was among the ashes.  He continued to send letters and make phone calls but nobody would listen.

When our friend Dan “Muskrat” Gyllenskog heard about Roy’s wounds, he began to ask questions and get more people involved through the Veterans of Foreign Wars ranks.  Years went by with Muskrat pursuing the award.  It looked like it would never come to be as he continued to hit road block after road block.  Even the Utah State Commander of the VFW got involved and he too hit road blocks everywhere he turned.

Finally, after years of “this battle”, someone in a high position in the Army, listened.  He reviewed the letters and the documentation submitted by doctors and others, clearly seeing the scars of the wounds in X-rays and reading the doctors statements about these scars .  That they could only have come from bullets or fragments of bullets.  And the age of the scars were from that time frame.

Nearly one year ago, Roy received a letter of recognition and his first compensatory check from the US Army command and has since received a check from them every month.  But still no Purple Heart.  Yesterday, September 4, 2014, Roy got a call from the Ogden Standard Examiner’s military correspondent who wanted to come and talk to him.  Of course Roy allowed the visit and this man (Mitch Shaw) talked to him about writing his story in the paper and coming to his presentation.  Yesterday Roy also recieved a letter from the US Army headquarters stating that they recognized their error and that he will be presented with his long over due Purple Heart.  The presentation will be conducted by Senator Rob Bishop at 10 a.m., on October 18th, at the George E. Wahlen building 1102 N. 1200 W., Ogden Utah.

Roy called me this morning with the good news!  Congratulations Roy!  Persistence paid off, finally!  I for one will be at the presentation and I hope everyone reading this will be as well.

I am so happy to be writing this and my thoughts turn immediately to our buddy Muskrat.  He wanted Roy to receive this award so badly.  He and I talked many hours about it and the stumbling blocks he kept encountering in his pursuit.  How can something so plain be such a problem for the one in command not to see?  Finally with all the evidence they woke up and signed the declaration and cut the final orders for Roy to receive this award.

Congratulations again Roy!  And a hearty THANK YOU to Muskrat and everyone else that helped in this cause!

Bears Butt

September 5, 2014