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French Historian Accused of Stealing American War Heroes’ Dog Tags to Sell on eBay


BagmanL6
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As terrible as this is it seems that much worse when you see his sale and how he describes it. Yes, it is a national treasure. Our national treasure and you stole it.

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Wow... Calling the dog tag he stole from the national archives a national treasure... Yeah, it was.

 

And look at this last line of his description"

 

tags2.jpeg

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In the event that the Fed’s are unsuccessful in recovering everything, perhaps we can get a list of missing items and post it on this forum, maybe in special section dedicated to stolen U.S. militaria. Such a section might also be beneficial to USMF members who have had items stolen and who have filed a police report.

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Despicable! A reminder that occasionally a collector's zeal for ownership of an item can blind them. Hope this foreign citizen spends a few years as a guest of our government at Leavenworth! BTW I think he was accessing casualty files not IDPFs or personnel files. I understand from experienced researchers that some have recovered artifacts in them. Also, some Forum members have mentioned finding undelivered Posthumous Purple Hearts in files while researching at NPRC, St. Louis. . Bob

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When I did research in St. Louis you would find all kinds of stuff in the service records of KIAs especially. Rings, Dogtags, undelivered medals, watches, ID cards, you wouldnt believe it.

 

I hope this guy gets sent up the river for a long time. He just made it harder for all researchers to get work done.

 

Kurt

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I am also amazed at how many dogtags he was selling were from AAF POWs. It makes me wonder if many of the dogtags were ones the Germans recovered from aircraft wrecks? MACRS from the time period often have German documents in them that list the data from the dogtags the Germans recovered. I wonder of these were in the Records Group in the Archives of recovered WWII German records in College Park?

 

Kurt

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See a pattern here? This is his sellers feedback

 

I also wonder where he got all those maps too.

 

1.JPG

 

2.JPG

 

3.JPG

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I am also amazed at how many dogtags he was selling were from AAF POWs. It makes me wonder if many of the dogtags were ones the Germans recovered from aircraft wrecks? MACRS from the time period often have German documents in them that list the data from the dogtags the Germans recovered. I wonder of these were in the Records Group in the Archives of recovered WWII German records in College Park?

 

Kurt

Kurt - I think you're probably right about the German POW records connection and the recovery of U.S. prisoner's I.D. They are likely in that record group he was accessing . Bob

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This also want do any good for the PH war we have going at the same time

 

well, just a thought but these dog tags were in a collection that the general public never sees or will probably never see and they weren't safe from a determined thief and isn't that what he who shall not be named wants all 'our' purple hearts in 'our' collections to go: "safe" gubbamint storage?

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There is a record group with the original KU reports. Often dog tags are in those reports that were sent by the Germans to verify the reports. Usually just one was sent.

 

Kyle

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Two tangential observations from a retired museum curator and archivist:

 

1. Security may be tight, but hired personnel usually enter and exit from a different doorway and have unlimited access to all kinds of secret places.

 

2. In-house theft of "smalls" artifacts happens more frequently than would be expected, not all THAT often, but too often enough.

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There is a record group with the original KU reports. Often dog tags are in those reports that were sent by the Germans to verify the reports. Usually just one was sent.

 

Kyle

 

Thanks Kyle. Those are exactly the reports I was thinking of. I just couldn't remember the names of them.

 

Kurt

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I hope he gets to spend some time in Bubba's cell block. Maybe he can be sold like the dog tags! 20 years would not be enough. I hope these tags can be returned or retrieved. I know personally. My Dads NOK tags and a box of items (letters and souvenir's) were stolen when my Grandmother passed away. By another family member of all things. I'm sure for some dope money. I keep hoping one day they come home. Said story. Karma will come too him. It always does....

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  • 4 months later...

This guy did a scumbag thing. For those of us who do research at the Archives, he screwed us as well. Now there are new regulations in the research rooms that prohibit any boxes from the top shelf of the 3 shelf cart, which cuts down on the amount of files we can access at a time. With the turn around times to get another cart new files pulled, it really cuts into a research day.

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Sorry, can you clarify the changes? I assumed this guy's actions would result in policy changes at NARA. I've never been there, but are you saying there are three-shelf carts, and now no boxes are allowed on the top one? Likely in an effort to make it easier to watch what visitors are doing? At our local historical society, you are only allowed one item at a time, period. Also, you are not allowed to bring any bags in the research room. I'm a fan of whatever sensible changes need to be made to protect the artifacts, and their availability to legitimate researchers. These agencies are typically one of the last to get funding, and first to get cut, so I'm sure nonsense like this doesn't help.

 

Thank you.

 

This guy did a scumbag thing. For those of us who do research at the Archives, he screwed us as well. Now there are new regulations in the research rooms that prohibit any boxes from the top shelf of the 3 shelf cart, which cuts down on the amount of files we can access at a time. With the turn around times to get another cart new files pulled, it really cuts into a research day.

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I tried to find the new rule online, but couldn't. Basically the staff needs to be able to have a direct line of site from where they are to the records you are working on with little or no place to hide anything you might be doing. I know it's the right thing to do.

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