In the annals of the U.S. Marine Corps, slight, wiry Sergeant Albert Luke Ireland of Cold Spring, N.Y. is a man of great distinction: he holds more Purple Heart citations than any other marine on record. Last week, after the Marine Corps had finally got around to giving his combat wounds their due, Ireland was the owner of a white-striped purple ribbon with eight gold stars.
Ireland, 35, who also has eight battle stars, a Bronze Star and two individual citations, began his military career in 1941 by enlisting in the Royal Canadian Air Force. Five days after Pearl Harbor, he...
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