A Vernon man took to social media to find the owners of four Second World War medals he found inside an antique desk he purchased in Montreal.
Image Credit: Facebook
November 10, 2015 - 6:30 PM
VERNON - The Vernon man who found a mysterious box of Second World War medals inside an antique desk he bought in Montreal says he is close to finding out who their rightful owner is.
Martin and his wife Jeanne Bokesch bought the desk at an antique furniture dealer last week. When they brought the desk home they found four military medals inside an old box. Although the box was addressed with the name J. Nicholls, Bokesch wrote on a Facebook post that he was unable to locate the war hero or his heirs.
“It would be great if we could find the rightful recipient, or heirs that these belong to,” he wrote. “Please, as a tribute to those that fought and served, let’s find the owner. Share the heck out of this please.”
The post was shared more than 34,000 times in just a few days.
On Tuesday, Nov. 10, Bokesch wrote another post on Facebook saying the search took on a life of its own.
“A big thanks to everyone involved in assisting in this search. In the beginning I had no idea other than obvious, Legion and Veteran Affairs, how to begin to find the rightful owner,” the post reads. “In a few short days I have been offered so much help to the point that I am still reading and answering the overwhelming response.”
Bokesch says he heard from people across the globe. Although he does not say how or why he feels close to reuniting the medals with their owner, he mentions the incredible support he got from strangers.
“With all the assistance we received, we very are close to finding the recipient or heirs,” he says. “Along the path of reading and answering so many notes, many people shared their stories of family lost in battle, and those so fortunate have their family members return.
“These Medals will go home.”
To contact a reporter for this story, email Adam Proskiw at aproskiw@infonews.ca or call 250-718-0428. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.
News from © iNFOnews, 2015