By Eric Stock
PEORIA – The family of a World War Two veteran has been reunited with a Purple Heart that the family presumed was lost forever.
Illinois State Treasurer Mike Frerichs told WJBC’s Scott Laughlin and Patti Penn the medal belonging to Cpl. Edward Dunn of Peoria had been surrendered to the treasurer’s office as unclaimed property.
“Nearly 20 years ago we took possession of a safe deposit box that included a Purple Heart and we were finally able to track down the rightful heirs of that Purple Heart,” Frerichs said.
Corporal Dunn’s daughter will be presented with the medal in a Monday morning ceremony at the World War I and II Veterans Memorial at the Peoria County Courthouse Plaza in Peoria.
“Since I’ve come into office, we’ve made it a priority to return military medals,” Frerichs said.
The state Treasurer’s Office is the custodian of unclaimed property, including lost bank accounts, insurance policy proceeds, and forgotten safe deposit boxes. Items are surrendered after private entities tried for at least five years to locate the owners.
Born in Ransom, Ill. and later a resident of Peoria, Cpl. Dunn enlisted in the United States Army in 1943 at the age of 34. He was deployed in 1944 assigned to Battery A of the 808th Field Artillery Battalion and held the occupation of Scout 761 and was qualified as a rifle sharpshooter.
During his service in World War II, he traveled through France, Belgium, and Germany where he participated in the Rhineland Campaign and the Western Allied Invasion of Germany as part of the European Theater Offensive. In addition to the Purple Heart Medal, Cpl. Dunn received the European-African-Middle Eastern Theater Ribbon with two Bronze Battle Stars, four Service Stripes, two Overseas Service Bars, and a Good Conduct Medal. These medals were not part of the safe deposit box that held his Purple Heart Medal.
Cpl. Dunn returned to Illinois upon the completion of his service to his wife Bertha and gained employment as an Inspection Foreman for the Hiram Walker & Sons Distillery in Peoria. He also served as the Mayor of the Village of Bellevue from 1954 to 1969. He died in 1970 at age 61.
The Purple Heart is one of the most recognized and respected medals awarded to members of the U.S. Armed Forces.
Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].
