Dave Posted October 17, 2015 Share #1 Posted October 17, 2015 I'm sorry I didn't have a chance to post this a couple days for the 15th anniversary of the bombing of the USS Cole. However, the medal frame got really beat up in shipping and I just managed to get it back into shape today (didn't help I got trapped out of town due to mudslides this last week!) Anyway...15 years ago, this fellow (name intentionally removed) was in the mess line waiting for noon chow on the USS Cole when it was hit by suicide bombers in Aden, Yemen. He was hit with pieces of shrapnel in the head, and in so doing, earned the Purple Heart. He went on to serve the remainder of his 20 year career before retiring. All of this material came from a storage unit sale. My hope is to sometime find and return it to him as I'm sure he would like to have it back. I was lucky to acquire the group...I just happened to do a search for Purple Hearts on eBay and the frame popped up. Luckily, e-mailed the seller and she replied as she had just posted it and was still online. At the same time, eBay removed the auction - it was up for less than 20 minutes! We made a deal on the frame and I asked her if there was anything else. Well, turns out there was a second Purple Heart (the one now located with the certificate...his actually awarded one)...but she had the group consigned to her by some storage unit buyers. She asked them if there was anything else...and sure enough, they were just about to toss all of the paperwork (including all his award certificates) as they thought it was all "worthless"!!! Luckily, her fast acting prevented it all from being tossed! This group means a lot to me personally as I served on the USS Cole for three years (after the bombing). While I don't recognize the recipient, I am certain I interacted with him over e-mail as he was a manning specialist at the administrative command the Cole was attached to and later, his command was acquired by the command where I worked on the admiral's staff. Needless to say, I would be certain if I looked back on some of my e-mails he's there in the CC or to line somewhere! This is the first time I've ever seen a USS Cole group come on the market as there simply weren't that many. The Purple Heart isn't engraved, but I am working with several families to photograph at least one (or more) posthumous ones for my upcoming book. Now, for a group you won't see every day... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted October 17, 2015 Author Share #2 Posted October 17, 2015 The display shadow box, build for his retirement... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted October 17, 2015 Author Share #3 Posted October 17, 2015 The recipient's Purple Heart certificate... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted October 17, 2015 Author Share #4 Posted October 17, 2015 I am still pinching myself...the matter of luck and timing that this group was saved from the trash...all to a fellow shipmate. Amazing. I hope to get it back to him someday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
empireguns Posted October 17, 2015 Share #5 Posted October 17, 2015 How nice!!! The whole group is outstanding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tarbridge Posted October 17, 2015 Share #6 Posted October 17, 2015 Congrats Dave...Complete and Rare...Good luck on the search. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted October 17, 2015 Author Share #7 Posted October 17, 2015 Thanks guys! It's really an honor to be the caretaker of the group...for however long I have it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garandomatic Posted October 17, 2015 Share #8 Posted October 17, 2015 Heck of a mission, good luck with it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobgee Posted October 18, 2015 Share #9 Posted October 18, 2015 Bravo Zulu! Hope you find him well! Great job. Bobgee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMariner Posted October 18, 2015 Share #10 Posted October 18, 2015 Very nice grouping, not everyday you come across modern groupings like this especially not with so much history, do you know if he is still alive ?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted October 18, 2015 Author Share #11 Posted October 18, 2015 Very nice grouping, not everyday you come across modern groupings like this especially not with so much history, do you know if he is still alive ?? I believe he is...I haven't found anything to the contrary. My assumption is that he failed to pay the rent on the storage unit either because of financial hardship or a family crisis, like a divorce or something... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hink441 Posted October 18, 2015 Share #12 Posted October 18, 2015 Wow, that is a really nice grouping. I hope you can locate the retired Sailor. Good work Dave!!! Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pchepurko Posted October 18, 2015 Share #13 Posted October 18, 2015 Dave, maybe the VA could help find him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KASTAUFFER Posted October 18, 2015 Share #14 Posted October 18, 2015 Hi Dave I know this isn't the first medal group you have saved. Again, nice work saving this one. Thanks for posting it! Kurt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted October 18, 2015 Author Share #15 Posted October 18, 2015 Thanks all for the comments! I appreciate it and am still in awe that it all came together. As far as tracking him down, to be honest, I do have his contact info (or at least the last available info.) However, from a search of available public records, his life is a mess at the moment (bankruptcy, eviction, etc.) and quite possibly, these are better off with me for the short term. The last thing he needs is some guy contacting him out of the blue and offering his medals back at my cost (even though eBay pulled the auctions, and the documents were going to be tossed, these were far...very, very, very far...from free...and I don't have the financial means to serve as a charity by any stretch...) In the meantime, the group isn't going anywhere and if it parts from me, it's going back to him...and I'd like for that to happen someday - but I view the return as more of a marathon than a sprint. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kurt Barickman Posted October 18, 2015 Share #16 Posted October 18, 2015 Very interesting grouping. As others mentioned, you don't find the modern groupings and particularly something that was so well known in the media. Congrats and let me know when you are coming back to the land of milk and honey (Minnesota) Kurt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katieony Posted October 19, 2015 Share #17 Posted October 19, 2015 A rare group...thank you for posting. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cobra 6 Actual Posted October 19, 2015 Share #18 Posted October 19, 2015 Sir, a question: is the folded flag an actual American Flag or is it a flag casing that would hold a flag? The reason I'm asking is I'm curious if it is a casing or cover then it's basically a 'place holder' until he dies and someone inserts the Flag used during his burial. On the other hand, if that's an actual American Flag, then there may be a separate story to be told (was it used to bury a relative, did it come fron the USS Cole, or ?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted October 19, 2015 Author Share #19 Posted October 19, 2015 As far as the flag's concerned, it's a small sized nylon flag. I'd like to think that it's the one that was used as his retirement ceremony, but my realistic hunch is that it was an off-the-shelf flag that was purchased solely for the purpose of the retirement display case, as the case was most likely presented to him at his retirement ceremony. It's interesting to note that whoever put together the display didn't do that great of a job...I actually took the liberty of going and "fixing" a few issues with his awards, and changed his ribbons (and medal accouterments) to match those on his DD-214. For example, he was awarded six Good Conduct medals. On his ribbon bar and on the medal in the frame, the attachment was a three bronze star one, indicating four awards. So I changed it to a silver star to indicate his six awards. Same thing goes for the multiple awards of his Navy Commendation and Navy Achievement...neither of those stars were on there either...so I updated it. He's also missing several medals that he's entitled to...and he's not entitled to the Navy Expert Pistol medal (he only shot marksman in both pistol and rifle) but the medals are glued onto the frame backing and I'm not about to take them off...that's more changing than I'm comfortable doing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gumshoe Posted October 19, 2015 Share #20 Posted October 19, 2015 Great group. Seems like you were meant to find it. I believe in that kind of stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cobra 6 Actual Posted October 19, 2015 Share #21 Posted October 19, 2015 Thank you for the additional information! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary B Posted October 19, 2015 Share #22 Posted October 19, 2015 Great job, Dave. I know it means alot to you, having served on the USS Cole. A shame they had to come to the market like that but am glad you got to the the caretaker for now, at least. Gary B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firefighter Posted October 20, 2015 Share #23 Posted October 20, 2015 Amazing and RARE group. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted March 25, 2016 Author Share #24 Posted March 25, 2016 Just an update...I sent the original recipient a letter, letting him know I had the group and offering it back to him at the price I paid (I can't give it back to him, esp for the price I paid, unfortunately...) I did offer him all of his medical and VA records though, as those are pretty important for his retirement medical care. Anyway, it took a couple months, but the letter was finally returned to me "unknown at this address". That was the best address I could find (and I'm pretty decent at finding good addresses, if I may say so...) Now to send a letter to his dad, to see if he can get it to him... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted March 25, 2016 Author Share #25 Posted March 25, 2016 And a completely unassociated story (though somewhat associated...) The same storage guys that found this group also found a presentation KABAR with the name of a female Marine Corps 2nd LT on it. A little google search turned up that she was one of the first Marine Corps female fighter pilots. They sent it to me with this group in hopes that I could find the owner. Well, good news...I did, and she got her KABAR back. It had been sold by her roommate at a yard sale and she had been crushed ever since then about losing it, as it was the only memento she had from her days in ROTC. She was beyond happy to get it back, and I was so happy to have made it happen! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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