A local World War II Veteran was finally honored for his service decades ago. Wayne Efurd was presented the Bronze Star Medal in Roland on Thursday.
"Well to me I feel like there are so many more that deserved it rather than myself," said Efurd. "But I appreciate it very much."
Efurd's family discovered he was eligible for the award when they were looking through his military papers.
"In doing research with the VA, we found out that he was honored with the Bronze Star but he'd never received it," said Kinya Meineke, Efurd's granddaughter. "We wanted to make sure that he got that honor because he deserved it."
"That's great," said Efurd. "I never expected anything like this."
Efurd recalled his time spent overseas before he got the award, sharing stories and memories that have been tucked away for decades.
"You just think of the things that have gone by in the past and what has really happened," Efurd said. "And actually - you're just really grateful that you're here today."
The Bronze Star Medal is the fourth highest service award given by the military. The award was presented by Congressman Dan Boren's office.