RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 1 sourcesCOMMUNITY & EVENTS U.S. Army veteran brought to tears after receiving Purple Heart 58 years later By Stacey Sager Friday, August 7, 2026 9:19PM Stacey Sager has the details on the long-overdue honor. LONG ISLAND, New York (WABC) -- A clerical error that lasted 58 years was corrected Thursday when U.S. Army veteran Daniel Knote received a Purple Heart that had never been properly recorded in his military service record.
For Knote, a 79-year-old U.S. Army veteran, the recognition came decades after the events that earned it.
Knote, who served six years in the Army, was wounded in South Vietnam while helping save a fellow soldier, Mike Beck. At age 21, then-Army Specialist Knote was shot in the leg while under fire.
Despite the attention surrounding the long-overdue recognition, Knote downplayed his role.
"I don't consider myself the hero. I did my job," he said.
Recalling the incident, Knote became emotional as he reflected on his service and friendship with Beck.
"Mike said we'd do it together," Knote said. "We both made it back. We both got wounded. And the reason he and I went out there was not that I'm any braver than anyone else, but our squad leader said, 'Dan, I can't go.' I said, 'Sir, what's the matter?' He said, 'I'm going home tomorrow.'"
Knote returned home from the war and was awarded both a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart. However, the Purple Heart was never properly documented in his service record.
According to U.S. Rep. Nick LaLota, Knote sought no recognition for the omission.
"He asked for no recognition. He came home, went to work, raised a family and lived his life. And for 58 years, the paperwork failed to catch up with that sacrifice," LaLota said.
The issue came to light after injuries from Knote's wartime wound, and other medical issues began affecting him. He reached out to LaLota's office, whose staff worked to correct the record.
The recognition ceremony took place on Purple Heart Day, where the decades-old clerical error was formally resolved as Knote received the medal.
Knote's wife, Virginia, said the award reflects the purpose and dedication that guided her husband throughout his life.
"The most thing I'm proud of is that he went for a purpose," Virginia Knote said.
After leaving the military, Knote worked for the Long Island Rail Road for 31 years and later for the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Friends and supporters gathered to celebrate the occasion.
For Knote, who spent decades serving both his country and his community without seeking recognition, the ceremony marked the end of a 58-year wait for a military honor that had long gone unrecorded.
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