European museum seeks family of Medina County Purple Heart recipient

MEDINA — A Purple Heart belonging to a veteran from Medina County who died during one of World War II's most pivotal battles has been recovered by a military history museum in Europe. Last week, Robbert Morsink, who owns 99th Infantry Division, Collections and Stories in Meppel, the smallest municipality in the Netherlands' northeast province of Drenthe, reached out to the administrators of a local Facebook group with a plea to help in finding the veteran's family. The Purple Heart belongs to U.S. Army Pvt. 1st Class Frederick David Hutchins, a county resident who was killed in action at age 19 on March 19, 1945, at the Ludendorff Bridge, which was captured by Allied forces throughout that month as part of the Battle of Remagen. "Well, it was about one year ago that I saw it in someone's collection in the USA," Morsink said. "This medal with the name engraved on it, I asked him very often if he want to sell it to me for the museum but it was not possible until recently. He really wanted to sell me the medal for my museum." Morsink said he acquired Hutchins' Purple Heart roughly two months ago from a collector in Miamisburg, who said he got a hold of the medal through a friend in the house-cleaning business. Hutchins' remains were received by West Virginia's Grafton National Cemetery on Dec. 29, 1947, roughly two weeks after they'd been sent from Belgium. He served in the U.S. Army 99th Infantry Division's 394th Infantry Regiment. The victory at Ludendorff Bridge served as one of the final blows to Nazi Germany during the closing months of World War II's eastern front as its capture paved way for troops to establish a bridgehead on the eastern side of the Rhine River. German forces tried to destroy the bridge multiple times until they were finally successful on March 17, 1945, 10 days after it was captured. That attack killed 33 U.S. Army engineers and wounded another 63. While the bridge stood, it allowed for the establishment of six bridgehead visions — totaling roughly 125,000 troops — as well as safe travel for numerous tanks, artillery pieces and other vehicles across the river. Ensuing firefights in the area are believed to have lasted until March 25 and general consensus among historians points to capture of the bridge directly shortening the war in Europe. "Named Purple Hearts of the 99th Division are really rare," Morsink said. "A lot of them are in the family of the veterans. I got lucky with some of mine. I now have five killed-in-action Purple Hearts and one wounded-in-action Purple Heart. They're all named and all with a picture of the soldier aside from Hutchins' medal." The following excerpt from the Gazette was also turned up during Morsink's research. "Word was received from the War Department in the latter part of last week by Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Hutchins of Medina that the body of their war-fallen son, Fred D., was en route from Europe to the United States and would arrive in New York soon. The local's youth body is one of hundreds which are being transported from cemeteries in Belgium and France for home burial or national cemeteries by the transport, Robert Burns. Mrs. Hutchins told the Gazette on Monday that their son's body will be buried in Grafton National cemetery W.Va., but that further details will not be made until further advice is received from the War Department. "Hutchins, 19 years of age when killed in action in Germany on March 19, 1945, was a second machine gunner with the First Army. His death occurred one day before completion of one year's service in the Armed Forces." A Medina County resident claiming to be Hutchins' great niece has contacted Morsink, saying that all of the veteran's immediate family members in the area are no longer living. The woman claimed to have documentation of the Purple Heart and a picture of Hutchins' she will work to get to Morsink. Another resident found U.S. Census data showing Hutchins' family living on Wadsworth Road in 1940 and that his brother, William, died in 1980. If that family connection is confirmed and talks indicate they'd like the Purple Heart returned, Morsink said he'd be happy to do so. "I try to look for family and almost everybody says that they are happy and thankful that it is in my museum," he said. "People are able to see it and I handle every item with respect. I think this it's a good way to remember for what they did for our freedom." "I've been told there's not a lot of (Hutchins) family around anymore, but if they want it, of course they can have it," Morsink added. Those with information on David Hutchins can visit https://www.facebook.com/99thInfantryDivision or email 99thcollections@gmail.com. Contact reporter Jonathan Delozier at (330) 721-4050 or jdelozier@medina-gazette.com.