Local Vietnam Veteran starting Purple Heart Chapter in Indio

INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) — Richard Gauthier was 19 when he was sent to Vietnam to serve in the Army. After he was injured by fragments from a rocket launcher, he received a Purple Heart.

Now 79, Gauthier is a member of American Legion Post 739 in Indio, and he’s working to start a new Purple Heart chapter for members in the Coachella Valley. So far, he has found nearly 25 Purple Heart recipients in the area and is reaching out to them to help launch the local chapter.

The nearest chapter is in San Bernardino, where Gauthier drives once a month to attend meetings. He hopes to start the Coachella Valley chapter to support and uplift other Purple Heart recipients.