Trying to recover my KIA great uncle's Eugene Berkowitz's WWII Purple Heart Medal

[Steve Weintraub]

His PHM has been collected/sold throughout the years, I'm trying to recover it to accompany his Silver Star which he was awarded posthumously.

 

The last I learned, it was sold to  Bryan Buffham circa 2010.

My great uncle was Technical Sgt 5th Grade Eugene Berkowitz, Serial number; 32106517

28th Cav Recon Sqn, United States Army, KIA 7 Aug 1944

 

 

[KASTAUFFER]

I hope you can find it. I have sold a couple of medals back to family members for what I paid for them.  I have never seen this one.  "Recover" implies it was stolen.  Was it sold by a family member in the past or was it stolen?   

 

Kurt

[Steve Weintraub]

Thanks, Kurt, I'm hoping the collector's network can provide me with some leads, I'd gladly pay to have it in my family's possesion.
I don't know what happend to it over the years, whether it was sold or acquired in some other way.  All of my family members who might have known have since passed.

In researching my great uncle's service, discovered this forum and saw that collectors were trying to acquire his Silver Star to pair it with his PHM they possessed.

https://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/17728-armor-and-tank-destroyer-purple-hearts/page/5/#comment-485840

https://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/39908-wwii-silver-star-citation/#comment-306116

My family has had possession of this Silver Star, which I now have as his sole surviving family member.

[Bill in VA]

FWIW, you can reach out to your Congresscritter and have them get you a set of replacement medals.

[aerialbridge]

Will they provide gratis replacement medals to a grand-nephew?   I'm not sure they'd provide them to a nephew.    Would they?   If so, I'd like to get a set of my late uncle's who was an 08 USPHS from 1946-70, and both of his issue deceased. 

[Bill in VA]

20 hours ago, aerialbridge said:

Will they provide gratis replacement medals to a grand-nephew?   I'm not sure they'd provide them to a nephew.    Would they?   If so, I'd like to get a set of my late uncle's who was an 08 USPHS from 1946-70, and both of his issue deceased. 

Only way to know is to ask.

[decwriter]

Typically for medal replacement, a mother or father, husband or wife and son or daughter can request a replacement set of medals. The Good Conduct Medal and higher will be shipped with current style engraving. 
 

Years ago I requested my grandfathers records from NARA. I informed them in a letter that I was a grandson and would appreciate a replacement set of medals, and to my surprise, they forwarded a request to the U. S. Army for a replacement set. I received the medals and his badges within a month or two after the records arrived. 

[aerialbridge]

12 hours ago, Bill in VA said:

Only way to know is to ask.

Yup, nothing to lose.  When I have time over the holidays I think I will make the request.   As an FYI,  I'll post their response on this forum. 

[Steve Weintraub]

On 9/21/2024 at 10:35 PM, KASTAUFFER said:

I hope you can find it. I have sold a couple of medals back to family members for what I paid for them.  I have never seen this one.  "Recover" implies it was stolen.  Was it sold by a family member in the past or was it stolen?   

 

Kurt

 

[Steve Weintraub]

Thanks for the insight, gents.
Ideally, I'd like to recover his original PHM. 

I don't know how it ended up on the collector market (before my time), but I do have his Silver Star, which has remained in my family.

I'll reach out to my Congressional Rep and Senator to see what assistance they can provide regarding getting a replacement.

In my research, I did see that NOKs can receive replacement medals; however, NOK criteria can be "subjective."
Since I'm the most senior in his bloodline, I hope there's consideration for that.
I'll keep you all updated regarding my progress.

[Marshallj]

Veterans, spouses, children, grandchildren etc. often sell medals and other hard earned militaria. Generations later someone surfaces and wants it back in the family, shocked that some collector owns it. 

[Steve Weintraub]

Agree. 
In his case, he was KIA. 
With the technology and resources available today, it’s easier to locate the relatives of the fallen. 
IMO, it’s ghoulish for “collectors” to hold onto 

awards of valor from strangers who fought and often made the ultimate sacrifice to defend our nation. 
But then again, I guess iota no different than collecting baseball cards. 
I’d imagine they put a lot of research into the summaries of actions behind the medals, but little, if any into trying to research their families to inform them that their holding onto them. 
I’m a retired Marine Colonel, I guess I see things differently than collectors. 

[kfields]

7 hours ago, Steve Weintraub said:

Agree. 
In his case, he was KIA. 
With the technology and resources available today, it’s easier to locate the relatives of the fallen. 
IMO, it’s ghoulish for “collectors” to hold onto 

awards of valor from strangers who fought and often made the ultimate sacrifice to defend our nation. 
But then again, I guess iota no different than collecting baseball cards. 
I’d imagine they put a lot of research into the summaries of actions behind the medals, but little, if any into trying to research their families to inform them that their holding onto them. 
I’m a retired Marine Colonel, I guess I see things differently than collectors. 

Ghoulish seems like an over the top description for collectors who save history. As a collector, I think it is much more of an oddity that the family makes the conscious decision to sell their relatives medals such as what happened in your family. I served in the Army infantry so I suppose I see things differently.

[BeansEnHay]

Not only do they sell them, for many reasons, they donate them with boxes of clothes and other belongings to thrift stores, or worse chuck it all in a dumpster without even going through it.
 I may collect something else in 10 years and sell what I have now, and give family members, if there are any, a chance to have their relatives medal back.

my mom had two first cousins who were KIA, both in 1944. If I ever saw one of their medals out there, I would try to purchase it. My mom had no memory of either one of them being only 2 years old at the time. IMO -its   something that should be remembered and carried forward, family or no family.

[Allan H.]

8 hours ago, Steve Weintraub said:

Agree. 
In his case, he was KIA. 
With the technology and resources available today, it’s easier to locate the relatives of the fallen. 
IMO, it’s ghoulish for “collectors” to hold onto 

awards of valor from strangers who fought and often made the ultimate sacrifice to defend our nation. 
But then again, I guess iota no different than collecting baseball cards. 
I’d imagine they put a lot of research into the summaries of actions behind the medals, but little, if any into trying to research their families to inform them that their holding onto them. 
I’m a retired Marine Colonel, I guess I see things differently than collectors. 

Colonel,

I guess that in all of those years of service that you have seen subordinates that didn't give a rat's behind about their uniforms, medals, plaques, or any other items that they acquired during their time in service. I know I have met plenty of them. I have also met veterans selling their items at garage sales and flea markets. It is entirely up to them what they do with the items once they no longer want them anymore.

 

My "best" grouping was to a KIA paratrooper killed during the beginning of the Battle of the Bulge. The items came to me from a guy who was unloading trash at the dump when he stumbled on the medals, photos, and documents. He originally tried to contact the family and was told that they threw the items in the trash for a reason. They didn't want to be reminded of their loved one's loss. I have been the caretaker of those items for over 35 years now. I wouldn't call my desire to keep his memory alive as ghoulish. I consider it to be patriotic. That's probably why I served in the Army for ten years- to serve and defend my country. 

 

You are probably frustrated that you have not been able to find your loved one's medal. I know I would be too, BUT the good news here is that MOST LIKELY, his medal is being well taken care of and his memory is being preserved as another collector honors his sacrifice. Since it is in collectors' hands, you will probably get an opportunity at some point in the future to reunite the medal with his Silver Star. In the meantime, you can be comforted with the notion that the medal has not end up in the dump, or in the stacks at a museum that will never display his medal. Perhaps there is some comfort that you can take from that fact. If and when you have the opportunity to reunite the medals, you might consider an attitude of gratitude and skip referring to the caretaker as ghoulish.

 

Best Regards and good luck on your quest.

 

Allan

[Rakkasan187]

I have to agree with Kfields about the terminology of using ghoulish as a descriptive term for collectors. In some cases, the collectors are the only ones that will keep the memories alive of those who made the ultimate sacrifice. I wouldn't call it ghoulish being a Patriot honoring our fallen... No disrespect intended to the individual trying to find their family members medal, however I'll throw this out just for conversation...

 

What if the medal is found and returned to the family... What happens after the member seeking the medal passes on? What's the guarantee that the medal won't go back on the market?  Sure there are folks in the family that may have a deep connection, but as the member has posted, the family members that would have known about the medal are now long since passed. There will be family members who only see the monetary value in such things since WW2 happened so many years ago and in some cases the mind set of individuals today is that it happened so long ago, how does it affect me? Why should I hang onto something that belonged to someone in the family that I know nothing or very little about? They may think that as ghoulish to keep it and want to get rid of it... In many cases it is better off in the hands of a collector who will appreciate and honor the sacrifice...These are just my thoughts, and many may disagree, but it is also worth mentioning. I am the proud custodian and caretaker of medals from Pearl Harbor to Iwo Jima and the families are happy to know that these medals are in the hands of someone who will honor and preserve the family history for them. 

 

And as a veteran with 22 years of service as an infantryman in the US Army as was Kfields (and many others here on the forum in their respective services) I too understand sacrifice and what it means to honor those we lost, although strangers with no blood family connection, they were Brothers and Sisters in arms in the Service and we honor them when no-one else will... 

 

Again, no disrespect to the individual trying to recover the medal, I hope for a positive outcome for them.

 

Best regards

 

Leigh 

[Cobra 6 Actual]

What Leigh wrote. I think you should consider an “interim solution”: purchase a period correct WWII un-engraved Purple Heart. Then have it engraved with your Great Uncle’s name in the correct style. Have it mounted with his Silver Star. Meanwhile, continue the mission.

[Jim T]

      Even though this isn't a family heirloom, as long as this set is in my possession it will survive past its current 80+ year existence.             

 

     The medal inside is numbered but not traceable..that doesn't matter to me: it serves as testimony to an Unknown's honorable service. 

 

 

.......

 

95B20  draftee caretaker-collector

 

 

[manayunkman]

In Central Pennsylvania veterans from WW2 through Vietnam liked to throw their stuff into the Susquehanna River.

 

I talked to thousands of vets and this was a common answer when I asked if they kept anything.

 

And if it didn’t go in the river it went into the trash, apparently quite a few CP brides thought it needed to go.

 

Its amazing how many people didn’t keep their stuff.

 

My father in law gave all his stuff to a girl in a bar in San Francisco.

 

Years later we got his replacement medals.

[The Rooster]

Medals....

I was a non combat Army Guard Infantry soldier.

I earned some medals. Peace time medals, awards, badges etc..

They mean something to me. Because I know how I earned them.

They were put in a box somewhere when I stripped my class A.

I know for a fact that they only have meaning to me.

My family has no interest. And like I said they are in a box.

They are peace time awards. No body cares about those.....

They mean enough to me to keep them and dig them out once in a blue moon.

Some families have no interest or no idea what their loved one did.

Thats just the way it is. My kids know I was in the Army Guard.

They know I was Infantry. I dont recall any of them asking to see my awards or really ask what it was I was doing in there.

I knew it when I was in. Most people really are not interested.

I would bet some vets, combat vets, dont want them because they dredge up bad memories.

No, I think that medals are really only significant to, the individual and fellow soldiers,

to some families and to collectors.

Collectors keep history and the memory of patriots alive.

Its not just military history that winds up in the dump. Ive seen boxes of family photos and mementos

thrown in the garbage. People get old, die, and no body wants the pictures for what ever reason.

No kids? etc etc Kids that dont care? Who knows?

A lifetime of family photos a history of a family in a box thrown in the garbage.

It happens.

People who care about military awards and medals and how they were earned....

Its a small group out of the millions of people in this country.

 

[The Rooster]

The people that have served this country and are now serving and who will serve is a small percentage of our total population.

To the OP, Steve Weintraub, I hope you have luck in finding your uncles Purple Heart.

 

[BG 612]

I have two family members that were KIA, on in the Navy and one in the Army. I remember when I was a kid and seeing their medals, no one in the family knows where they are now but I continue to hope that someday I can find them.