PEORIA — The U.S. Army officially rewarded Sgt. Merle Dentino his Purple Heart in April 2012, 42 years after the Peorian was killed in action in Vietnam. On Monday, Veterans Day, officials handed the medal to his sister in a ceremony in Palo Alto, Calif."I think this is a great story in tribute to (Merle Dentino)," said Teresa Dentino, Merle's younger sister, who lives in Woodside, Calif.