PHILADELPHIA -- Newspaper headlines and television newscasts feature the heartwarming stories of Army veterans who are awarded medals decades after they've earned them.

But beyond the fanfare, an Army Materiel Command team in Philadelphia routinely fills more than 30,000 requests each year to provide long overdue, lost or missing military awards.

The Veterans Medal Program provides a complete set of medals at no charge to any Army veteran who has never before received them. Replacement sets are provided for a nominal fee.

Requests come from the veterans themselves, or their immediate next of kin.

"It really warms the heart to know we can somehow honor these veterans," said Tina Davis, who serves as the office's front line, fielding the numerous calls from people who need assistance navigating an unfamiliar system. She lends a patient ear to veterans' families who are often desperate to ensure an aging family member receives their just due.

While the process officially begins with the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, team members get to hear plenty of war stories as they take information about their program to veterans' events. The tales they hear go back to World War II, where many didn't know they had been awarded medals or didn't stick around to collect them.

Veterans, or the next of kin of deceased veterans, can request service records from the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis or the Army Human Resources Command, depending upon the date of separation. Once the awards are verified, the Veterans Medal Program team processes the request.

Supervisor Robert Henry, Jr., and Materials Handler Leonard Wilburn manage the inventory in their warehouse where the medals are stored. Rows of medals, like the Army Good Conduct Medal and Purple Heart, populate the shelves, while the prestigious Medals of Honor are protected in a safe.

A veteran himself, Wilburn said he knows some of what it takes to earn those Army medals. "It gives me a sense of pride, especially when filling a request for someone who is older or deceased," he said. "I know how proud my family is of me -- and to hear from families who are so excited about these awards and decorations and to listen to the stories of fathers and grandfathers, I tear up inside."

Chris McDaniels is one of two engravers who etch the names on the medals. He's been doing the work for more than 25 years, and admits it can become tedious. "There's not always time to reflect on each name," he said, noting some days he engraves up to 400 medals. "But it hits home when we receive letters and comments, to see what it means to them."

Once the medals come through the engravers, one of three assemblers affix the appropriate devices -- stars, numbers or oak leaves -- and perform quality control.

"I'm pretty proud of what I do," Darnell Sample, an assembler, said. His grandfather and uncle served in the Army, as did he, having served in Desert Shield and Desert Storm. "I'm Army oriented. I want to give back -- and I know that people are appreciative."

While most of the team members get little customer face time, all are well aware of the programs' grateful recipients. The notes of thanks and the photographs that accompany them are often shared. Sometimes their recipients make the news.

But by and large, this eight-person team stays out of the lime light. The team's mission and its role in the Clothing and Heraldry Services Office, which falls under the Tank-automotive and Armaments Life Cycle Management Command, a subordinate unit of the Army Materiel Command -- go largely unnoticed.

The heraldry mission controls the supply and issue of items such as the presidential flag, unit guidons and streamers, general officer flags, buckles and belts. Last fiscal year, the Heraldry Team processed requisitions for more than 3,000 guidons and issued more than 100 general officer kits.

"We have a very dedicated group," said Harry Veneri, who oversees the heraldry mission, and its parent organization that manages organizational clothing and equipment for the Army. "We like to say we provide for Soldiers from the time they enter the service until they become a veteran."

Veterans interested in receiving their medals can find more information here: http://veteranmedals.army.mil/