William Ilg eligible for a medal?

     You read that title right! If you have been following along with my research recently, you will see I've been trying to put together the story of my 2nd Great Uncle, William Ilg. Since the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I was coming, I decided to find out as much as I can about him. He was killed in action three days before the end of the war. So we were also remembering the day he gave the ultimate sacrifice for his country. I spent a good couple of weeks learning everything I could about his life from beginning to end.

     Sadly, his military record was destroyed in the 1973 fire at the St. Louis National Records office along with millions of other soldier's records. So, I've also been working hard to recreate his military file. My research has taken me down a path of discovery for sure. Yet, even with all I have uncovered, I have not found a picture of him. All I have is his headstone. The headstone was provided by the government since he was a veteran of World War I. I've been able to collect records from Ancestry, Family Search, Fold3, the Missouri State Archives and the National Records office in St. Louis. I was able to copy his burial case file from the National Records office. That file contained more information than I ever thought I would find. His burial information during and after the war, information about his body, his service, etc. There is still information I can look up the next time I go back in regards to rosters and such.
     For Veteran's day, I was able to visit his grave at Mount Olive Cemetery to put flowers down. I also visited the World War I memorial at Jefferson Barracks, also known as the Gold Star Court of Honor memorial. Here is a short video I made about the day:


     Now, I told you all this information first to lead up to the big news. While we were at Jefferson Barracks, I was talking with my husband and friends about the Purple Heart Memorial that was right next to the Gold Star Court of Honor Memorial. I was under the impression that only those that were wounded during war received the medal. I did not know those who were killed in war were also eligible. I have no clue if William's mother, Pauline Ilg, ever received a Purple Heart for her son since his record was destroyed. But now, I'm curious.
     I talked with a friend of my dad's who is in the local VFW. He explained to me the process of trying to get copies of medals for a soldier that has passed on. It sounds like a pretty easy process, but I know anything having to do with the government is not easy. But I am sure going to try. So as of right now, I do not know if I will receive a copy of a medal for him or not. I will definitely update as soon as I know. So check back later... we may have a huge event to celebrate.