COMMERCE CITY, Colo. (KDVR) — A special set of military medals was discovered inside an abandoned storage locker in Colorado. Now, the person who has them is trying to find the family they belong to.
Stacey Lane said her friend Robert started buying storage units at auction in the Denver metro area and in northern Colorado. Last year, inside one of the units he purchased, he discovered the display case containing eight medals, military tags, patches and a folded U.S. flag.
“I’ve done a lot of work with the VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars) over the years, so they thought that I would be able to find the right person to ask,” Lane said.
Do you recognize the name of this veteran?
With the medals now in her possession, she contacted the Problem Solvers for help.
“I had family members that served in World War II. I would have been heartbroken to have lost something like this,” Lane said.
The military tag indicates the medals belonged to a veteran named Ralph M. Hayward. The collection contains medals from both World War II and the Vietnam war. There is also a Purple Heart.
“It’s awarded to soldiers who are injured in the line of duty while serving our country, so that makes it extra important that it gets back to his family,” Lane said.
She is now hoping someone recognizes Hayward’s name, his military honors or the display case so the items can be returned to their rightful owners.
“With him being a World War II vet, it’s most likely he’s passed on, but I’m sure his heirs would love to have this back,” Lane said.
She said if she can not find Hayward’s family, she plans to donate the medals to the VFW Post in Arvada.