Purple Heart, “Joseph A. Hines”, 473rd Infantry, KIA, Italy

Purple Heart, slot brooch, hand-engraved “Joseph A./Hines”. Pinned to the ribbon is a son-in-service pin with black edges and a gold star in the center.

Hines, 473rd Infantry, 92nd Infantry Division, was killed in Italy in 1945. The 92nd Division was an African-American division primarily, but after bitter controversy over the combat effectiveness of the African-American soldiers, the 473rd Infantry, composed of white anti-aircraft artillery troops no longer needed in that role, was assigned to the division to bolster its combat effectiveness.