Michael Kelly poses for a photo, holding a Bronze Star and Purple Heart that were presented along with other medals posthumously to his great-uncle, Coast Guard Lt. Thomas J.E. Crotty, at the Connecticut Armory in Buffalo, N.Y., Thursday, May 6, 2010. The Bronze Star, Purple Heart, the Prisoner of War Medal and the Philippines Defense Medal were awarded during a ceremony in Crotty's hometown Thursday, the 68th anniversary of the American surrender in the Philippines.
(AP Photo/David Duprey)
WWII medals for multi-service NYer, 68 years later
Michael Kelly poses for a photo, holding a Bronze Star and Purple Heart that were presented along with other medals posthumously to his great-uncle, Coast Guard Lt. Thomas J.E. Crotty, at the Connecticut Armory in Buffalo, N.Y., Thursday, May 6, 2010. The Bronze Star, Purple Heart, the Prisoner of War Medal and the Philippines Defense Medal were awarded during a ceremony in Crotty's hometown Thursday, the 68th anniversary of the American surrender in the Philippines.
(AP Photo/David Duprey)
BUFFALO, N.Y.—Four medals have been awarded posthumously to a New Yorker who served with four U.S. armed services during the American defense of the Philippines in World War II.
Coast Guard Lt. Thomas "Jimmy" Crotty was assigned to the Navy's Asiatic Fleet three months before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941.
After the Japanese invaded the Philippines, Crotty served with a Navy mine-removal unit, then later joined Army and Marine infantry companies in defending Bataan and the island of Corregidor.
Crotty was 30 when he died in a prisoner-of-war camp in 1942.
One of Crotty's relatives received his posthumous Bronze Star, Purple Heart, the Prisoner of War Medal and the Philippines Defense Medal during a ceremony in Buffalo Thursday.
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