Found WWII Purple Heart

CladMaster

Sr. Member
Dec 25, 2007
262
20
North Carolina
Detector(s) used
Ace 250, Explorer SE
I was detecting my grandma's front yard a few weeks ago. I had found a merc, 2 rosie's and several wheats (along with lots of clad, and lead chunks) in the last few times I had detected it. I felt like I had pretty much gone over the yard pretty well except for up around the shrubs close to the house. While detecting in between bushes I got a few pieces of lead or rotten cast iron and was about call it a day. My Ace250 sounded off a good solid ring on $.50 and it wasn't bouncing. The chunks of junk I had been finding were bouncing between $.25 $.50 and $1.00 so I decided to definitely dig this last target. It was only about 3 inches deep in some pretty soft soil. I really didn't know what it was but could tell there was writing on the back so I went and cleaned it up. I showed it to my grandma and she said "I bet that's your grandpa's Purple Heart". I had always knew that their house had burned down back in 1956. It turns out they lost pretty much everything, including his medal and rebuilt just behind where the original house sat. The strangest thing is the medal laid for over 51 years not 6 feet from his bedroom window and no more that 10 feet from where he rested his head every night. He never got a chance to see it again since he died in October of '06. From what I gather he never wanted a replacement. In fact, in my life I never heard him speak of it once and only heard him talk about the war fewer that a dozen times. The purple part on the front of the medal was long gone and I never could find the clasp. HH
 

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Upvote 0
Love the military stuff! Great find!
 

What a sweet story! You have a great piece of history there and a treasured possession from your Grandfather! Thanks for sharing!

HH,
Moon
 

If I could vote on it I would say this belongs on the banner. Great find and a very treasured family keepsake. Way to go on the great find.

DANGLANGLEY
 

Nice going.. 8) ...I'd recheck the area for the rest of the front. I'd wager it'll sound further down on the scale-possibly in the foil range.
 

yep, it will be hard to ever top that one! awesome find!
 

DANGLANGLEY said:
If I could vote on it I would say this belongs on the banner. Great find and a very treasured family keepsake. Way to go on the great find.

DANGLANGLEY
What Danglangley said ... its nice to make a good find ... but its even better to make a good find and know the human story behind it ... congratz ~ Jimmy
 

coongrats on finding your grandfathers medal!! Family history lost and now found.......and back home!!
Nice work!!
H.H.
Mike
 

Thats one of those finds of a lifetime! Congrats on having a family treasure back where it belongs!
 

Without a doubt......one of the best. My grandfather is still alive and will not speak about what he went thru......even after the Smithsonian asked him. That is the most incredible find a family could ever have!!!!!!! Congrats......
 

Its gonna be hard to top that find. :)
 

Proud of you guy, very proud of you. Grandpa knows what you have found for sure!

Desertfox
 

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