Hatter hopes for safe return of stolen war pin
Medicine Hat attorney Lawrence Gordon is asking the public’s assistance in helping locate a precious golden star pin stolen out of a Canada Post delivered envelope last week.
“My uncle Lawrence fought in the Second World War for the United States forces, and was killed in action in France,” explains Gordon. “We finally recovered his body in 2014. He had been mistaken for a German soldier and kept in a German ossuary.
“The United States military awards a gold pin to the closest living relative when someone has been killed in war fighting for the Unites States. There were eight nephews of Uncle Lawrence, and we each received a gold pin because we were the closest relatives.”
When one of those nephews, Larry Nelson, died earlier this summer, Gordon asked Larry’s relatives to send his pin from Saskatchewan to Medicine Hat so Gordon could bequeath it to his son David.
“I had asked Larry’s twin brother Gary if he would be willing to give that pin to my son David, as my son had accompanied me to France on June 10, 2014 to recover Uncle Lawrence’s remains. Gary said he would, and put the pin in an envelope to mail it to me.
“When the envelope arrived someone had pushed the pin out of the paper jacket it had been taped in, and then right through the side of the envelope.”
The envelope arrived in his mailbox with a small hole in the centre where the pin had been pushed out. Gordon says the person who stole it likely did not know its special significance.
“They are not a common thing obviously, because there are not a lot of people in Canada who have relatives who died fighting for the U.S. military. I would be very pleased if someone recognized this was an heirloom for our family, and symbolic of the death of a person who gave his life in war, and returned it.”
Gordon says he will ask no questions if the pin suddenly showed up under his door sometime in the next few days or weeks.
“I would not pursue charges. I would be very thankful that they returned it.”