A missing Purple Heart medal that was earned 70 years ago was returned to a World War II soldier's family in Tennessee on Friday after it was found in an abandoned local safe deposit box, Fox News reported.
The Purple Heart was earned by Claude Parris, who lost part of his right leg while fighting in the Battle of the Bulge while serving in the European front, WRCB reported.
In 2008, Claude Parris's grandson, Charles Parris, put the Purple Heart into a safe deposit box at a Ringgold First Volunteer Bank location but forgot about it.
The box was eventually handed over to the state as unclaimed property.
Tennessee officials banded together to return the medal safely to its rightful owners and after some digging, they were able to reunite the historical item with Claude Parris's other grandson, Freddie Parris, on Friday morning.
"Treasury works every day to protect the financial lives of Tennesseans," said State Treasurer David H. Lillard, Jr. in a statement. "A moment like this takes all the time, dedication, and efforts of the Tennessee Treasury to a personal level, showcasing exactly what we work for every day."
Freddie Parris said he was not even aware that the medal had gone missing until officials contacted him.
"I just assumed my brother was the caretaker just like I was taking care of mine," he said, according to WRCBTV. "I guess it slipped through his fingers as they say."
He added that the Purple Heart, along with his grandfather's other memorabilia, would live on in their family through future generations.
"We are a military family," he said per WRCBTV.
"I have ancestors from the Revolutionary War through and my son is a combat veteran. So it'll be going to him and teaching my grandchildren all about the history of the veterans and the sacrifices for our country."
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