WATERLOO - Arriving 45 minutes after he was scheduled to begin speaking at an event he calls "one of the good things" over which he gets to preside, Sen. Tom Harkin followed both of the mottos he mentioned Thursday.

The first was U.S. Marine Corps motto Semper Fidelis, or "always faithful."

The second was, "better late than never."

Harkin meant the second motto to apply particularly to the medals and decorations awarded to veterans decades after they had rightfully achieved them in battle.

That was why Arlinn Gushee, Charles Nelson and the late Frank Foster were finally decorated at a ceremony held in the atrium of the Sullivan Brothers Iowa Veterans Museum.

"Either for one reason or another, they didn't get their medals," Harkin said, noting his office has been handling requests for medals since 1993. "The veterans - they went and did their duty, got the job done, and came home."

Gushee of Ankeny was the first to be awarded several decorations and medals. The Vietnam veteran and longtime language arts teacher in Urbandale was wounded four times, the last of which involved him stepping on a land mine and losing both of his legs.

"Most of these (decorations) came from just being in the wrong spot at the wrong time," Gushee said. "A lot of people paid a lot more than I did to help protect our country."

Foster, who died in 1981, was one of five Waterloo brothers - like the Sullivans - who all served in World War II. Unlike the Sullivans, only one brother died in action.

Foster served as an infantryman in the Pacific and later in the Korean War before coming back to Waterloo to rear seven children and work at John Deere. His family received his several decorations for him.

Nelson, of Waterloo, was a gunner on PT boats in the Navy during World War II. He later worked at Rath Packing and reared four children.

"I was just a high school kid when I went in," Nelson said. "I guess we did what we could. Lucky I got home, anyway."

Nelson's family made up roughly half the audience gathered at the Veterans Museum. They also put together a PowerPoint presentation on Nelson's service, shown after the ceremony.

Harkin said he was especially happy to see children and grandchildren in the audience.

"It's important for them to know what their father or grandpa or great-grandpa did," Harkin said. "If their country calls on them, they'll do the same thing."