Illinois State Treasury Secretary wants to return 11 Purple Hearts to their proper owners

Chicago (CBS) — Veterans Day is Friday, and the Illinois state treasurer’s office is tasked with returning the 11 Purple Heart medals to their rightful owners.

All medallions were found in an abandoned safe deposit box.

These boxes were under the following names at the following banks:

• In November 1992, Robert Cawthorn of Fifth Third Bank of Oak Park transferred to the accounting firm.
• Raymond Wilson of Chicago Community Bank turned over to the accounting firm in November 1995. Chicago Community Bank was subsequently sold.
• Lawrence M. Burns of Homewood’s Advanced Bank was handed over to the accounting firm in November 1997.
• Linda K. Moore of National City Bank of Peoria was handed over to the accounting firm in October 2001.
• Bernice Smith of MB Financial Bank of Oak Park was handed over to the accounting firm in November 2002.
• David Gorski of Hinsbrook Bank & Trust in Darien was handed over to the accounting firm in October 2003.
• Pekin’s Busy Bank’s Vincent G. Tuttle was handed over to the accounting firm in October 2018. Purple his heart may have belonged to his father Delbert Gleason-Tuttle.
• Shorewood’s First Midwest Bank Toni Alexander was handed over to the accounting firm in October 2018. The Purple Heart belonged to Charles J. Alexander, who fought and won in the Pacific in World War II.
• Isbell Servina, or Mary A. Shayer, or Vincent P. Shayer, was handed over to the accounting firm in October 2018.
• Round Lake’s Michelle Steward or Patricia Van Hasselrea was handed over to the accounting firm in October 2018.
• Kenneth Wiest was handed over to the accounting firm in October 2019. Wiest may have lived in O’Fallon in southern Illinois, about five miles from Scott Air Force Base.

“Our question is simple: if you know a name and know that they have been in contact with the city, contact them or their relatives,” Illinois Treasurer Michael Frericks said in a statement. Please, maybe because we have their purple hearts.

Claims can be submitted at illinoistreasurer.gov/icash.