Dan Abernathy receives some long-overdue military service medals from U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx during a ceremony held at the Alleghany County Courthouse April 8.

Veteran gets long overdue medals

Medals earned in the early 1950s were finally presented to an Alleghany County man last week during a ceremony at the Alleghany County Courthouse on April 8.

Dan Abernathy was given five medals in a presentation ceremony with 5th District U.S. Congresswoman Virginia Foxx (R-Watauga). Foxx's office help secure the medals, which included the United Nations Service Medal for Korea, Korean Service Medal, Army Parachutist Badge, National Defense Service Medal and Good Conduct Medal.

Abernathy said his and other servicemen's records were destroyed by a St. Louis fire in the early 1970s.

Abernathy was born in Morganton in 1933 and graduated from Valdese High School in 1951. He then volunteered for the U.S. Army and graduated jump school in 1951. He served as a paratrooper in the 508th Airborne Regimental Combat Team.