HAVERHILL, Mass. (Tribune News Service) — Fifty-five years after being wounded by a booby trap in the jungles of Vietnam, U.S. Marine Corps veteran Pfc. Kevin Gilbert Alder was finally presented his Purple Heart recently at AMVETS Post 147.

Nearly 100 area veterans were on hand to see the 73-year-old Haverhill resident be pinned with the medal by his wife of 53 years, Paulette (Deblois) Alder.

"I didn't think it was ever going to happen and I'm glad that it finally did," he said. "I wasn't in Vietnam for long after I was wounded as I was evacuated to Okinawa. Things didn't go as they were supposed to and I didn't receive my medal at the time. I think it had to do with the paperwork."

That situation was rectified Saturday when he not only received his Purple Heart, but also a congressional lapel pin inscribed on the back with the words, "Welcome Home," as well as a copy of "A Time to Honor," a 50th commemoration of the Vietnam War.

"I'm very happy today," Paulette Alder said. "I've got my honey, he's got his medal ... what more could I ask for?"

Kevin Alder, a Georgetown native, was attending what was then known as Haverhill Trade School when he enlisted in the Marines in his junior year at age 17.

"We wanted to go to Vietnam and we went," he said.

Alder attended boot camp after turning 18 and was then assigned to Charlie Company, 1st Engineer Battalion, 1st Marine Division.

He had been in the country as a rifleman and demolitions soldier for about 14 days when his unit was patrolling in the jungles of Quang Nam Province, outside Da Nang, on July 14, 1968.

As night fell, a member of Alder's unit unknowingly tripped a booby trap, according to Haverhill Veterans Services Director Jeffrey Hollett. More commonly known as an IED today, the trip wire was attached to a 155mm artillery round packed with explosives.

The explosion's impact threw Alder through the air and into the mud. Upon regaining his composure, he was assisted onto his unsteady feet by a medical corpsman.

Alder was among the walking wounded. He suffered injuries to his lower back and shrapnel wounds to his left hand. About 21 Marines were wounded by the booby trap and three were killed instantly.

With the threat of enemy action, they called for support and were transported out of the jungle via a tank escort to nearby awaiting helicopters in an open landing zone.

While being flown to a field hospital in or near Da Nang, they began receiving ground fire. Alder's helicopter and crew came under direct attack.

The pilot and crew were successfully able to evade the enemy and prevent themselves and their injured passengers from being shot down. Alder's injuries sustained in combat resulted in his subsequent airlift to Kadena Army/Air Force Hospital in Okinawa, Japan, after being treated at a field hospital.

Alder remained at Kadena Hospital for about two months while undergoing treatment for his injuries. His unit and command remained in Vietnam to fight the war. He was later transferred to a new unit and reassigned duties as a cook because of his injuries.

Alder's last duty assignment was with Company D, 8TH Engineer Battalion, at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. He received his honorable discharge.

Hollett said although Alder's DD214 Report of Discharge indicates that he was awarded the Purple Heart for his injuries in combat, he never received the medal from the Marine Corps at the time of his injuries, "which under the circumstances is understandable; as he, and his unit, and command had been separated due to his medevac and subsequent reassignment while they remained in combat in Vietnam," Hollett said.

"Mr. Alder's wife is responsible for bringing this to the attention of a colleague of mine who in turn brought it to my attention," Hollett added. "Mr. Alder's award of the Purple Heart is annotated on Mr. Alder's discharge papers and our due diligence has been focused on corroborating his award of the Purple Heart with additional information."

Hollett said he recently received a copy of Alder's official orders through the Massachusetts Executive Office of Veterans Services as issued by the commanding general of the 1st Marine Division, Maj. Gen. Carl A. Youngdale, in July 1968.

"Additionally, we have corroborated his (Alder's) Purple Heart through the National Purple Heart Honor Roll (thepurpleheart.com/roll-of-honor)," Hollett said.

Alder is well known in the Haverhill School Department, where he worked for 30 years as a supplies manager before retiring six years ago.

The event included the distribution of about $15,000 in electronics (more than 120 items) to veterans in attendance by the city in partnership with the nonprofit, all-volunteer iPods for Wounded Veterans of Wilmington.

The giveaway included 60 Bluetooth speakers, six HD television sets, 14 tablets, four refurbished laptops, two sound bar systems, five e-readers, dozens of sets of wireless headphones, and six MP3 players.

The veterans were also treated to a free luncheon buffet.

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