The Arctic Star has recently been awarded to a hero of the Second World War. The man in question had been wishing for the honor ever since before his death, but a delay of five years has resulted in the need for this posthumous award ceremony. The delay was technically even longer, given that the hero in question completed his service in the Second World War nearly seventy years before he was given the Arctic Star after his death, although he continued his service in the Navy for some time after that.
Douglas Burt had been hoping to receive the medal ever since he left the service. Five years ago, as he was waiting to pass away, he asked his son to make sure that he received his honor. Burt had participated in an anti-sub patrol during the war that had been incredibly successful, and felt that he deserved the Arctic Star for his efforts. His son, Mike, assured him that he would seek justice. Now, despite that fact that several years have passed since his father’s death, and several decades have passed since his father’s service, Mike Burt can finally say that he has fulfilled his promise.
The ceremony honored another deceased hero as well. Frederick Lacey was a sailor who had fought well during the Second World War. His widow, Mai, was in attendance at the award ceremony to receive the Arctic Star in his place. Frederick Lacey and Douglas Burt were both known to be brave soldiers, but unfortunately they simply did not receive their medals until long after their respective deaths.
Mike felt honored to receive the medal in his father’s place, though also acknowledged that the circumstances were rather sad. He is proud of his father’s achievements, and found the Arctic Star ceremony to be incredibly moving. Working at a heritage center, Mike has put a great deal of effort into helping ensure that stories such as that of his father are remembered through time. His father’s unit was one of the most accomplished in the war, managing to sink nearly two dozen German U-boats over the course of just two years, The Herald reports.
The Arctic Star is generally granted to those who have performed spectacular military service in certain regions. Douglas Burt is not the first to have received the award posthumously, nor is it certain that he will be the last. Commodore Little, who presented Burt’s son and Lacey’s widow with the Arctic Star, stated that this awards were certainly deserved, but it is an unfortunate reality that they are sometimes given too late for the intended recipient to attend.