A Purple Heart medal awarded to World War II veteran James Bennett of Illinois was recently returned to his family after spending decades in an abandoned safe deposit box. Bennett, a U.S. Army rifleman and longtime Oak Park resident, died in 1990. His wife, Ann, died seven years later. Their niece, Patty Knies, who became legal guardian to their disabled daughter Susan, was unaware of the existence of the safe deposit box until contacted by Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs. The medal was recovered through Operation Purple Heart, a program Frerichs launched to reunite military medals from abandoned safe deposit boxes with the families of their rightful owners.
Frerichs explained that returning these medals often requires significant research and media assistance to track down families. The Chicago Tribune helped in locating Bennett’s relatives. At a recent ceremony, Frerichs presented the Purple Heart to Knies, who plans to display it at home and share its story with other family members. She hopes this event will encourage others to recover lost military medals from their own families.
Since taking office, Frerichs has returned 17 Purple Hearts through Operation Purple Heart and says the work is ongoing, with six more medals still waiting to be returned to their families.