SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) – The tough part of Illinois State Treasurer Mike Frerichs' job is tracking down the rightful owners of military Purple Heart medals.
His office has returned seven of those medals to veterans or their families. He is now launching Operation Purple Heart in an effort to return eleven more.
The military honors were submitted to the office of the State Treasurer as part of the Unclaimed Property program. Banks turning over the contents of safe deposit boxes after they have gone unclaimed over a period of several years.
“These medals personify honor, sacrifice, and duty,” Frerichs stated at the Illinois State Capitol on Tuesday. “They belong in the loving care of families rather than hidden inside our cold basement vault.”
One of the Purple Hearts came from a safe deposit box at a bank in Decatur. The last name of the recipient of the medal was Tuttle. Here is a full list of the eleven individuals or families being sought.
Last names and last known cities connected to the family that rented the safe deposit box containing the Purple Heart medal:
Cawthon, Received, Nov. 1, 1992, Portland, Oregon
Wilson, Received, Nov. 13, 1995, Chicago
Burns, Received, Nov. 5, 1997, Homewood
Moore, Received, Oct. 17, 2001, Peoria
Smith, Received, Nov. 18, 2002, Oak Park
Gorski, Received, Oct. 30, 2003, Darien
Tuttle, Received, Oct. 25, 2018, Decatur
Alexander, Received, Oct. 26, 2018, Channahon
Isbell or Shayer, Received, Oct. 31, 2018, Chicago
Steward or VanHasselaere, Received, Oct. 31, 2018, Round Lake
Wiest, Received, Oct. 23, 2019, O’Fallon
“Our ask is simple. If you recognize a name, and you know they lived in the city, then reach out to them because maybe we have their Purple Heart,” Frerichs said.
These honors were secured in a bank safe deposit box and untouched for several years before being submitted to the Illinois State Treasurer’s Office. Also, given mergers and acquisitions, it is possible the name of the bank changed throughout the years.
