Purple Heart returned to family of military member in Iowa
(ABC 6 News) — This Saturday is Unclaimed Property Day, which is an effort to make the more than 30 million Americans aware of the estimated $70 billion that is sitting out there waiting to be claimed.
The Iowa State Treasurer went the extra mile ahead of that day to reunite a family with an unclaimed item worth more than money can measure.
A Purple Heart, originally belonging to Gerald Hayes who passed away in 2015, was found in Hayes’ safety box but didn’t have the accompanying paperwork.
As a result, not much is known about how Hayes earned it, but the Purple Heart is awarded to those wounded or killed while in military service.
However, for Hayes’ cousin, Nancy Clark, all that matters is that the award is now back with his family.
“[I’ll} probably eventually pass it on to another Hayes to make sure a Hayes has it. But for now, this Hayes has it,” Clark said.
This isn’t the only Purple Heart currently in unclaimed property in Iowa, either.
A second Purple Heart, awarded to Herman Eggers of Waterloo, is currently in the possession of the Treasury Department.
Papers found with that Purple Heart indicate Eggers served in the Korean War.
According to a brief online obituary, Eggers died in a Waterloo nursing home in 2020 at the age of 91 and previously lived in Charles City.
If you recognize the name Herman Eggers, notify the family so they can reclaim the Purple Heart.