U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor posthumously honored  Sgt. John A. Hess, an Army veteran who served in Tampa during WWII and then in Korea and died before he was able to obtain his military medals and awards. Castor’s office has been able to secure those medals for Sgt. Hess’ wife, Onelia.

“Sgt. Hess gave outstanding service to our country, and I am truly honored to be able to present his family with the awards and medals he earned for his commitment decades ago,” Castor said. “These medals are a symbol of his bravery and dedication to our nation.  The Korean War is often called the ‘the Forgotten War,’ but the patriotic Tampa Bay community celebrates the service of our nation’s heroes and will not let them be forgotten.”

Sgt. Hess enlisted and joined the Military Police United on Sept. 10, 1941 and was stationed in Tampa. He was part of the escort for convoys arriving at MacDill Air Force Base during its construction. He left the army on Nov. 26, 1945, following the conclusion of World War II.  Sgt. Hess met his wife Onelia, a native of Ybor City, at the USO hall near what is now the University of Tampa.

While serving in the Army, Sgt. Hess received the following decorations and citations, among others:
- Meritorious Unit Award GO 59 HQ 20 AFA PO 5034
- Medal American Defense, National Defense Service Medal
- Good Conduct Medal
- World War II Victory Medal

After his separation from the Army, Sgt. Hess worked as a detective from 1948 until 1951. He joined the U.S. Army Reserve and in 1951, was ordered to serve in active duty serving the Korean peninsula. He served for almost 11 months.

Sgt. Hess was admitted to Walter Reed hospital upon his return to the United States. He was hospitalized for 11 months. On February 10, 1953, separation documents were prepared at Walter Reed and Mr. Hess was separated due to illness and was retired with disability on January 1, 1961. At the time of his separation he had received Army of Occupational Medal- Japan.

The Hess family returned to Tampa and Sgt. Hess died on February 11, 1965 at the age of 45. At the time, the five Hess children ranged in age from 3 months to 20 years old.
During his last months of life, Sgt. Hess began to draft letters to the service to obtain his medals. His wife found drafted letters to military personnel after his death and unsuccessfully contacted the personnel office.

Years later, on October 28, 2010, Castor’s office received a letter from Mrs. Hess requesting assistance with obtaining additional medals that were due to Sgt. Hess for his service in the Korean War.

On July 28, 2011, Congresswoman Castor received a letter from the Department of the Army verifying that Sgt. First Class John A. Hess would be awarded the Korean Service Medal and United Nations Service Medals. His records have been corrected to reflect his entitlement to these awards.  Sgt. Hess has two grandchildren and two great-grandchildren currently serving in the military.