SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) - The Illinois State Treasurer Office currently holds over 100 unclaimed military medals and ribbons.
According to State Treasurer Michael Frerichs, medals and ribbons are typically forgotten inside bank safe deposit boxes and abandoned storage facilities. Then, after five years of no contact with their owners, they are surrendered over to the state treasurer's office.
"Memorial Day is a time to honor the sacrifices of our military members and their families," Frerichs said. "These medals are a daily reminder of the sacrifices that others have made for our country, and it is important that these special honors are reunited with their proper owners."
Since 2015, Frerichs has returned seven Purple Heart Medals, along with other military medals and paperwork. The treasurer's office has more than 100 unclaimed military medals and ribbons.
Military medals and ribbons are never auctioned and are kept until the owners or family members are found.
The Illinois treasurer's office is the custodian of unclaimed property, including lost bank accounts, insurance policy proceeds, and forgotten safe deposit boxes.
Items are surrendered after private entities have tried for at least five years to locate the owners.
Thousands of items are surrendered two times a year; anyone missing their belongings should check I-Cash every six months.
There is no charge for the search or return of the unclaimed property. To check I-Cash, visit www.illinoistreasurer.gov/ICASH.
