Vietnam War veteran Lory Segawa will finally receive his Purple Heart 42 years after he was wounded in battle.

Segawa, 61, of Mililani, tried to get the medal three times without success over the last seven years. A reunion with a fellow Vietnam veteran in September unexpectedly led to Segawa getting help from city and congressional officials to expedite the application process. To his surprise, he recently received a call from a staff member of Sen. Dan Inouye's office who told him he will be presented with the medal by Inouye tomorrow.

“;I was just really ecstatic,”; he said.

In May 1968, Segawa, then 19, was in Khe Sanh when a grenade exploded while he was in the trenchline. He suffered injuries to his neck and face from a few pieces of shrapnel. He entered Khe Sanh with 140 men of the Delta Company, 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment and left with 40.

“;It was the worst,”; he said.

Three months later, he and other soldiers headed to Leatherneck Square, an area with four Marine outposts just south of the demilitarized zone along the border with North Vietnam.

While there, a bullet grazed his chest and went through his right arm during an attack that occurred 15 feet away. “;We were really getting blasted,”; he said, recalling his platoon commander was one of the casualties in the attack.

Segawa had only 55 days left before returning to Hawaii when he was shot in the arm. He was transported to Quang Tri before he was flown to Tripler Army Medical Center.

During a reunion with fellow Vietnam veteran Jaime Vazquez at Honolulu Hale in September, Segawa mentioned that he never received his medal.

Segawa recalled that a fellow injured veteran told him officials were distributing Purple Heart medals after he was released from Tripler.

His first attempt was seven years ago when he sent a application form to the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs in St. Louis, Mo. He received a letter that he was eligible for a Purple Heart, but he never received it. He tried again, but still no medal arrived. In his last attempt, Segawa was told they were out of stock.

City managing director Kirk Caldwell heard about the conversation between Segawa and Vazquez, who is the Jersey City director of veterans affairs and a former deputy mayor. Caldwell then called Inouye's office for assistance.

Segawa said he is honored to be presented with the medal by Inouye, of whom his late father, Peter Segawa, veteran of the 100th Battalion, spoke highly.

“;I was always proud of my dad. My dad was always proud of me. To receive the Purple Heart from Sen. Dan Inouye, I just wish my dad was around,”; he said.

“;That would make his day.”;