Human Interest Black World War II Vet Previously Overlooked for Purple Heart Finally Receives Medal 77 Years Later Osceola “Ozzie” Fletcher was wounded during World War II's Battle of Normandy, but was denied the Purple Heart due to racial inequalities By Jason Hahn Jason Hahn Jason Hahn is a former Human Interest and Sports Reporter for PEOPLE. He started at PEOPLE's Los Angeles Bureau as a writer and reporter in 2017 and interviewed the likes of Kobe Bryant, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Tom Brady. He has a B.A. in English from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Master's degree in Journalism from Columbia University. He previously worked for Complex Magazine in New York City. People Editorial Guidelines Published on June 29, 2021 04:32 PM Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Amanda Hay-Caroffino After racial inequalities prevented World War II veteran Osceola "Ozzie" Fletcher from receiving a Purple Heart after his return home, the U.S. Army finally presented the 99-year-old with his medal this month. Fletcher was injured during the Battle of Normandy — a pivotal operation that saw Allied Forces successfully invade Western Europe — when his vehicle became the target of German gunfire, the Army said in a news release. But due to "racial inequalities in the United States at that time," Fletcher never received his Purple Heart, a medal given to military members who are either wounded or killed by the enemy during combat. Seventy-seven years after the historic battle, Fletcher received his medal on June 18 while in front of 150 people at the Fort Hamilton Community Club in New York. "There were probably many others like myself who did not get honored, and I just lasted longer," Fletcher told Fox News of the honor. Veteran, 35, Picks Out Coffin While Dying of Colon Cancer: 'That's What I Want to Be Buried In' Amanda Hay-Caroffino "However, the guys of other complexions did get medals. They showed it in their neighborhoods and I found out about it in other ways," he continued, "and the soldiers who got Purple Hearts are those people that weren't there in the very, very beginning and it seems that maybe many officers got Purple Hearts because they were white." "But I don't know about any other unwhite soldiers, you might say, getting honored in any way [at that time]," he continued. During the ceremony, Gen. James C. McConville, Chief of Staff of the Army, said Fletcher spent his life "giving to those around him," whether they were with him in the Army or simply a neighbor in his community. Air Force Veteran Transforms 9 Acres Into 'Healing Farm' for Other Vets to 'Find Purpose in Life' "Today we have the opportunity to pay Ozzie a long overdue tribute for the sacrifices he made to our nation and free people everywhere," McConville said. RELATED VIDEO: World War II Veteran Celebrated 100th Birthday by Going Skydiving: 'Let's Do That Again!' "Today it's Ozzie's turn to receive, but we are not really giving him anything today," he added. "We're delivering him something he's been entitled to for almost 77 years: Purple Heart for wounds received." Citing U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs statistics, the National WWII Museum said there were only 325,574 American World War II veterans left alive in 2020. Sixteen million Americans served in the war, with 416,800 of them having been killed during duty.