Frank Vande Linde thought the medals he earned for his service in the Navy during World War II were the last ones he’d be awarded.
He might be wrong.
Vande Linde, 99, of Brunswick was a gunner on Liberty ship convoys across the Atlantic Ocean during the war. He also served in the Pacific Theater after the Germans surrendered to end the war in Europe.
The American Merchant Marine Veterans organization wants to award him the Convoy Cup Award. The award recognizes courage under enemy fire, which Vande Linde endured during the convoys he accompanied.
He said German U-boats harassed and sank ships on his convoys. A large number of ships crossing in a group with protection from Navy ships meant some of them would get through with needed supplies and troops.
Jens Inge Egeland, international ambassador to the Norwegian consulate in Washington, D.C., said Vande Linde would be an “excellent candidate” for the Convoy Cup Medal.
“It is international and available to all allied veterans with certain requirements, which Mr. Linde obviously does (meet),” Egeland said.
Vande Linde’s daughter, Sara Giannakakis, said she is trying to convince her father to accept the honor.
“He doesn’t believe he deserves a medal,” she said. “I’m working on him as hard as I can.”
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