C
csmiller
Guest
Hi all,
While reading the news today I ran across this story and thought I might post it here. It is a shame that this hero's Purple Heart certificate ended up at a Salvation Army donation site.
Link to the video:
http://www.wsmv.com/video/22594923/index.html
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CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. -- A donation to a Salvation Army in the northeast has set off a big search effort that has ties to middle Tennessee.
Salvation Army workers in upstate New York recently found two World War II artifacts that belong to Sgt. Richard Owen of the 101st Airborne, who was killed during the D-Day invasion in 1944.
The items had been tossed amongst a box of random donations. Now, workers are crossing state lines to find the rightful owner of the items.
Owen received the Purple Heart posthumously after Germans shot his plane down in what became known as the famous Plane 66 crash. Owen and 16 of his comrades and five flight crew members all perished.
Salvation Army employees found Owen's picture and certificate in the box of donated items.
"We do find a lot of unusual items, but these particular items seem very valuable to somebody. We thought we might do some research and see if we cannot find out who they belong to," said Captain Ronald Heimbrock of the Massena New York Salvation Army.
It's been a month since the discovery. On Wednesday, Fort Campbell historian John O'Brien joined the search. Within a half hour, he found some unexpected answers.
"To pick out one name and be able to trace their story is not always easy to do. In this particular case, Sgt. Richard Owen was a member of the Easy company 506th parachute infantry. The famous Band of Brothers," said O'Brien. "The crash was so catastrophic that actually the plane actually burned for three days."
In 1944, Fort Campbell didn't exist yet, but Owen was briefly stationed at what was then called Camp Campbell. He came by train and stayed for just three days.
Still, O'Brien said those few hours could be the key to turning someone’s trash into another family's treasure.
"There are veterans with footlockers full of pictures and a mind full of memories. Yes, someone could see this tonight and say, 'Sgt. Richard Owen, I knew him,' and then we would add another piece to the puzzle," said O'Brien.
If you knew Owen or where his family members may be living today, please e-mail Heimbrock at Ronald.Heimbrock@use.salvationarmy.org
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Craig
While reading the news today I ran across this story and thought I might post it here. It is a shame that this hero's Purple Heart certificate ended up at a Salvation Army donation site.
Link to the video:
http://www.wsmv.com/video/22594923/index.html
----------------
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. -- A donation to a Salvation Army in the northeast has set off a big search effort that has ties to middle Tennessee.
Salvation Army workers in upstate New York recently found two World War II artifacts that belong to Sgt. Richard Owen of the 101st Airborne, who was killed during the D-Day invasion in 1944.
The items had been tossed amongst a box of random donations. Now, workers are crossing state lines to find the rightful owner of the items.
Owen received the Purple Heart posthumously after Germans shot his plane down in what became known as the famous Plane 66 crash. Owen and 16 of his comrades and five flight crew members all perished.
Salvation Army employees found Owen's picture and certificate in the box of donated items.
"We do find a lot of unusual items, but these particular items seem very valuable to somebody. We thought we might do some research and see if we cannot find out who they belong to," said Captain Ronald Heimbrock of the Massena New York Salvation Army.
It's been a month since the discovery. On Wednesday, Fort Campbell historian John O'Brien joined the search. Within a half hour, he found some unexpected answers.
"To pick out one name and be able to trace their story is not always easy to do. In this particular case, Sgt. Richard Owen was a member of the Easy company 506th parachute infantry. The famous Band of Brothers," said O'Brien. "The crash was so catastrophic that actually the plane actually burned for three days."
In 1944, Fort Campbell didn't exist yet, but Owen was briefly stationed at what was then called Camp Campbell. He came by train and stayed for just three days.
Still, O'Brien said those few hours could be the key to turning someone’s trash into another family's treasure.
"There are veterans with footlockers full of pictures and a mind full of memories. Yes, someone could see this tonight and say, 'Sgt. Richard Owen, I knew him,' and then we would add another piece to the puzzle," said O'Brien.
If you knew Owen or where his family members may be living today, please e-mail Heimbrock at Ronald.Heimbrock@use.salvationarmy.org
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Craig
