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World War II Vet, 91, Gets Bundle Of Combat Medals

(CBS) -- A retired 91-year-old Skokie man Friday received his World War II combat medals -- 70 years late.

"Is this fuss really necessary?" Milton Kaplan asked as he entered Skokie Village Hall for the ceremony. But it quickly became clear why.

Kaplan told reporters he worked as a "crawler" – crawling on his belly at night up to the German front lines to try to determine what the Nazi troops planned to do the next day. Once he had overheard their plans, Kaplan would crawl back to the Allied front lines and inform his commanders.

When pinning the Bronze Star on Kaplan, U.S. Army Col. Christopher Drew apologized for the late date of the award. He told attendees what Kaplan and others did in those final weeks helped set the tone for the modern free world.

"We expected nothing more than a thank you when we left and that's it," Kaplan said.  "This is beyond what I ever believed."

He attended college on the GI Bill, became a tax accountant and only retired this past July. It was Kaplan's daughter Judy who contacted U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., to press for the long-overdue awards.

In addition to the Bronze Star, he received a European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal and Bronze Star attachment, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the World War II Victory Medal, the Army of Occupation Medal, the Combat Infantryman Badge and a World War II Honorable Service Lapel Button.

Six of the medals were placed in a shadow box for Kaplan to display.

Kaplan's wife of 68 years sat in the front row and led the applause.

"Is this fuss really necessary?  The answer is, absolutely," Schakowsky said.

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