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
Now that is extremely special!!!
 

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
DANGLANGLEY'S got that right, BANNER for sure. I'm sure your Grandfather is smiling upon you now.

Jeff
 

Another great Medal of Honor story; like the recent TNet thread where a MoH was found and, through research, was eventually returned to the family of the medal's owner. Another vote for the banner.
Don........
 

great find...i would contact your county or state veterans service officer...he may be able to get another medal reissued since it was destroyed in a fire.....and you could probably get to keep that one....
 

duffytrash said:
great find...i would contact your county or state veterans service officer...he may be able to get another medal reissued since it was destroyed in a fire.....and you could probably get to keep that one....

I talked to the local VFW chapter leader a few days after I found it and he going to get the paperwork filed and sent off to get a replacement. Thanks!
 

congrats on finding your grandpa's purple heart very cool find i happen to live about two miles from where they had a revolutionary war raid that the first purple heart was awarded to elijah churchill for bravery by gen george washington. finding history is always interesting congrats and hh
 

what makes it better is that it bolonged to your family and you recovered it... it has an even more special meaning to you. good job.
 

This is a great story! Thank you so much for sharing... I'm so glad that's back in your family where it belongs.
 

It is always Great to find Family Belongings that were lost. Great Story. Good Luck on your next finds!
 

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