See larger World War II veteran James Powell, 86, was on the U.S.S. Meredith when it was hit by the Japanese with 15 direct bombs and three torpedos and sunk in the Pacific Ocean near the Guadalcanal. Powell was injured during the attack on the destroyer on October 15, 1942, but never received a purple heart due to a loss of paperwork. With the help of a fellow church member and Collier County Veterans Services, Powell was finally able to secure the purple heart he earned while in the US Navy. Lexey Swall/Staff

Photo by LEXEY SWALL

World War II veteran James Powell, 86, was on the U.S.S. Meredith when it was hit by the Japanese with 15 direct bombs and three torpedos and sunk in the Pacific Ocean near the Guadalcanal. Powell was injured during the attack on the destroyer on October 15, 1942, but never received a purple heart due to a loss of paperwork. With the help of a fellow church member and Collier County Veterans Services, Powell was finally able to secure the purple heart he earned while in the US Navy. Lexey Swall/Staff

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