World War II veteran helps other vets receive long overdue medals

GRANADA HILLS, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Three long overdue medals for war veterans were finally awarded at Aegis Living in Granada Hills, and it's partly because of another vet who waded through all the red tape to make it happen.

The award ceremony was right on schedule on Friday - but it's the awards that these veterans had to wait for.

It wasn't a few days or even a few years. The wait for these military service medals can be measured in decades.

"It's a long time. This has got to be, what is it, 70 years ago," said Joseph Goldfarb, a WWII veteran.

Along with Goldfarb, 91-year-old Sam Shaner also served in WWII while Stanley Olivier served in the Korean War.

All three had earned military medals they never received.

Goldfarb eventually filed for his medals and got them through the mail. However, World War II veteran Art Peterson, 92, did all the legwork to make sure Olivier and Shaner got their awards.

"There's nothing like having the evidence of your service hanging on your wall for your family to enjoy," Peterson said.

Why the long wait for the medals?. Well, the veterans say the government doesn't make it easy to get them.

"The hardest thing in the world is to get the papers from the vet so we could get their medals," Peterson said.

So these veterans finally have their recognition of service, and in typical military fashion, it was a case of "hurry up and wait."

"It's a long wait. It's been a long life, thank God," Goldfarb said.