PHR Purple Heart returned to family...now on EBay for Sale

[Dave]

Since these were originally found in Oregon, and presumably returned to the nephew in Oregon, and the seller's from Oregon...I'm thinking the nephew sold them, had them returned, and is now selling them again (maybe not him specifically this time, but you get where I'm going...)

[Bobertizkewl]

This soldier is from and buried in my town. I would be very interested in becoming the caretaker of his medal.

[tarbridge]

This soldier is from and buried in my town. I would be very interested in becoming the caretaker of his medal.

That would be my intention if he was from North Carolina...We need to make this happen.

[dhcoleterracina]

When I said that this wasn't the first time, I was referring to a incident where an old member of this forum (Jack's Son) who isn't around here anymore. As I recall he purchased a USMC Heart and personally traveled and delivered the medal to either the recipient or family. Within a very short time the medal was out on the market. This is what I recall, I could be wrong.

[aerialbridge]

This soldier is from and buried in my town. I would be very interested in becoming the caretaker of his medal.

 

 

You've got a fair shot at it, good luck. This seller is honest and since there is no "buy it now" or "best offer", he is not going to be conned or cajoled on a sub rosa deal by those PMing him for one. And if the PH "police" come back from their 4th of July picnics and get it shut down, anyone that wants to be a contender can still be. The way it should be, IMHO.

[bobgee]

Robert - How ironic a story. Hope you will insure that Congressman Paul Cook's office gets a copy of this. 'Nuff said! Bob

[tarbridge]

It will take someone in his district to get these links to him...

[Salvage Sailor]

Clicked 'contact us' - sent PHR a congratulatory email for another job well done.....

 

PHR Contact Us https://purpleheartsreunited.org/contact-us/

[Ivydiv]

Why is this named medal not pulled by Ebay? If I tried to list one I am sure they would pull it. Dave

[Dave]

The seller found this group in a local store (not specified what type) there in Oregon, along with some other items from the same estate. He doesn't know the guy's nephew or knows if he passed on or anything like that...

[ajbUSWM]

The seller found this group in a local store (not specified what type) there in Oregon, along with some other items from the same estate. He doesn't know the guy's nephew or knows if he passed on or anything like that...

 

If we have 3 or 4 guys on this thread all trying to get this medal to help in the fight the bidding will get nutty as you beat each other up. I stopped bidding when I heard one of you were bidding. I'll just watch.

[tarbridge]

I stopped.

[ajbUSWM]

Is the guy from Oregon still bidding?

[tarbridge]

Is the guy from Oregon still bidding?

I think so..

[Blacksmith]

Medal and related items were found in Oregon, but NOK tag indicates PH recipient was from Nebraska; which is also where he's buried.

 

Is the guy from Oregon still bidding?

[aerialbridge]

Right, PFC Barrett was born in Oklahoma and per the 1940 census, he was 27 y/o and living in Omaha, Nebraska with his parents and 3 brothers (ages 30, 28 and 25), where he worked in a tavern as a bartender, before he joined the Army. So the only Oregon connection to this group is that is where Fike found a nephew to "return" the group according to his website and that is where the group ended up being found by the current e-bay seller at some shop. But the point about a bidding war is well taken, obviously. And the point raised of how it came to be in the shop, sold by the nephew or the nephew died? Seems like with 3 brothers, there might have been more than one nephew to take possession of the group if he did die, but all speculation at this point. Very interesting set of possibilities of how it came to be where it is.

 

Edit-- bobert did say the soldier is buried in his town, so bobert might well have meant Nebraska since that fact has been clear from the start. In which case, I hope he ends up with it.

[Dave]

If I had to wager a guess, without really investing the investigative time...his parents died in NE and one of the other three brothers moved out to Oregon, where the family is now. Or, it could just be that the nephew moved out there and when the parents died in NE, the medals were taken out there and later sold. Lots of possibilities.

[tarbridge]

Medal and related items were found in Oregon, but NOK tag indicates PH recipient was from Nebraska; which is also where he's buried.

 

 

The gentleman bidding in Oregon could be from the same City and State of the PFC...

[aerialbridge]

The Find a grave website obituary from 1944 says the soldier had a sister living in Portland, Oregon (name not given in the obit). She wasn't in the 1940 census since she must have left home by then. Her name might be in the 1930 census and that I would bet is the mother of the guy Fike "returned" the group to.

 

Yup-- Gertrude, born about 1909. Married name?? So the "nephew" might well have been (or be) in his 80's or 70's.

 

• Birth: Abt 1909
• Death: 23 Mar 1963 - Salem, Marion, Oregon, USA
• Parents: Joseph Francis Barrett, Minnie E Barrett
• Spouse: George M. Burlett

 

Probably, the nephew's last name is "Burlett"

 

Somebody took the time to connect the dots for her ancestry.

 

https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=150671556&ref=acom

 

[Bobertizkewl]

I must've mistaken where PFC Barrett was born. I thought he was born in Nebraska since that what was shown on his headstone. However he is buried in Omaha, NE in a cemetery just down the road from me. I haven't placed a bid since the bidding was near $650. As of right now the bidding is at $820. I can probably go up to $900. Also I've asked the seller to keep me in mind should this auction get pulled. We just need to make sure this medal gets in the hands of someone who will care for it.

 

Jeff

[Dave]

On the bright side, maybe other people will want to buy groups for similar amounts of money now that this one has been publicized... (I wouldn't be able to get half of what the bidding's at now if I tried to sell it!)

[KASTAUFFER]

I would assume that PHR will also be bidding on this to keep this out of anyone's hands. I would assume they will try and give it to one of the other six family members that they also found according to their postings ( at any cost). If they can do this they will have still succeeded in their mission from a public relations standpoint in their minds.

 

Kurt

[aerialbridge]

I would assume that PHR will also be bidding on this to keep this out of anyone's hands. I would assume they will try and give it to one of the other six family members that they also found according to their postings ( at any cost). If they can do this they will have still succeeded in their mission from a public relations standpoint in their minds.

 

Kurt

 

That makes sense from their POV. As far as their PR and their narrative, if the PH found its way to the second hand shop because the nephew voluntarily sold it-- they have a major PR and narrative problem, regardless of whether they get it back and go for "3rd time's a charm!" and "nothing to see here folks". IMO, they still have a PR problem, although a much smaller one, if the nephew died and it was part of the estate that ended up in the shop. Because the PHR disingenuous definition of "lost PHs" includes estate sales, but with lots of gall, does not include "family sold it". Still, as someone else said, these will invariably make their way to estate sales-- the family isn't bound or going to lift a finger to give them to PHR or their local museum and the idiot proposed law won't change that. If I had extensive personal property in the form of Purple Hearts, which I don't, I would want to find out if that nephew died or voluntarily divested himself of this group. Based upon his probable age and someone confirming that "other estate items" were at the store, looks like he might have died. If there are six other family members, must not have been a very close family that nephew (if he died) didn't make arrangements to pass the torch to someone else in the "family". That doesn't help the PHR narrative and story which relies on family keeping it "in the family" once their PHs are "found" and "returned". And shows just how tenuous and fictitious the whole penumbra "family" is.

 

Anyway, good luck, Jeff (bobertzkewl), hope you end up with it.

[TLeo]

I would assume that PHR will also be bidding on this to keep this out of anyone's hands. I would assume they will try and give it to one of the other six family members that they also found according to their postings ( at any cost). If they can do this they will have still succeeded in their mission from a public relations standpoint in their minds.

 

Kurt

That might very well be the reason the bid price has gone so high. I wonder how long ebay will take before they pull the auction?

[tarbridge]

The mere fact it is on the market and out of the family again...absolutely plays to our narrative...you can't control the future or a family tree...the causes are many...lack of interest...no surviving family members...etc.