Illinois Treasurer Looks to Find Purple Heart Owner
(Springfield, IL) The Illinois State Treasurer is looking to reunite several Purple Heart awards with the people who earned them, including one found in Lake County. The new Operation Purple Heart initiative hopes to return 11 such medals that were initially submitted to the Illinois State Treasurer’s Office for safekeeping. Treasurer Michael Frerichs says military medals are among the most difficult items to return. The Lake County Purple Heart was from Round Lake back in October of 2018 with the connected last names of Steward or VanHasselaere. The Treasurer’s office says if you recognize anything about those names, reach out to them for information, because they want the medal back with the rightful owners.
Tim Vander Tuuk, WLIP News (11-3-21)