STANDING HIS GROUND WWII VETERAN FINALLY RECEIVES MEDALS.

Byline: Jim Skeen Staff Writer

PALMDALE - John Medellin fought in one of the fiercest battles of World War II and then had to fight again to gain the medals he earned 55 years ago.

In a ceremony Tuesday at the headquarters of Air Force Plant 42, Medellin was presented with his medals, including a Bronze Star, a medal given for heroic achievement. Medellin, 77, of Quartz Hill was honored for his service as an Army infantryman who had fought at the Battle of the Bulge, turning back the last major German offensive of the war.

``Fifty-five years later I got them,'' Medellin said of the medals. ``Thank God for that. I'm just proud to get those medals. I'm proud to be an American.''

In addition to the Bronze Star, Medellin received the Army Good Conduct Medal, the European-African Middle Eastern Campaign Badge, the World War II Victory Medal, the Belgian Fourragere, the Honorable Service Lapel Button and the Rifleman's Badge.

Medellin was living in San Fernando when he was drafted in March 1944. After infantry training, Medellin was sent to Europe.

``We had been fighting in Belgium when they took us back to rest because we had been on the line for awhile. The first day we were to rest they called us back to reinforce the line,'' Medellin said. ``I never saw so many tanks in my life.''

The Battle of the Bulge began in December 1944 and lasted through January 1945. During the battle, Medellin remembered what a drill instructor had told him about war.

``He said you have to fight. If you don't fight you get killed,'' Medellin said. ``I kept that in my mind. Every time they shot at me, I shot back.''

Medellin survived the battle, but the wet and cold European winter took its toll. His feet frostbitten, he was hospitalized first in France and then later in England. He was at the hospital in England when the war ended.

``My feet still hurt. I can't stand for too long,'' Medellin said.

After the war, Medellin returned to San Fernando and went into the trucking business. Later, he went to work for a waste management company.

In 1991, he and his wife, Nellie, moved to the Antelope Valley.

Medellin tried a couple of times to get his medals through the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, but had no luck. Frustrated and disappointed, Medellin turned to his son-in-law, Tom Martinez, a civilian defense worker at Plant 42, for help.

``I located a World War II association. A person there said there is a three-year backlog on requests and that you need to have someone help you,'' Martinez said.

Martinez sought help from U.S. Rep. Howard ``Buck'' McKeon, R-Santa Clarita, whose district includes the Antelope Valley. It took McKeon's staff about three weeks to secure the medals.

``World War II kept freedom for the whole world,'' Martinez said. ``Yet there's no memorial for World War II vets, and with this budget surplus they still can't find the money for staff in an office in St. Louis to get them their medals.''

When the medals arrived, Medellin had tears in his eyes, Martinez said.

``It was an emotional moment,'' Martinez said. ``I love this guy. It's important that he feels his sacrifice was worth it.''

CAPTION(S):

4 photos

Photo:

(1) John Medellin stands proudly Tuesday after receiving medals marking his efforts in World War II.

(2 -- ran in AV and SAC only -- color in AV) World War II veteran John Medellin, right, celebrates receiving his medals Tuesday with granddaughter Mia Martinez, 17, of Quartz Hill.

(3 -- ran in AV and SAC only -- color in AV) Air Force Plant 42 Cmdr. Lt. Col. Celeo Wright pins medals, including a Bronze Star, on John Medellin, an Army infantryman who had fought at the Battle of the Bulge in World War II.

(4 -- ran in AV and SAC only) John Medellin, right, stands with Air Force Plant 42 Cmdr. Lt. Col. Celeo Wright on Tuesday.

Jeff Goldwater/Staff Photographer