Can you ID this veteran?
Burial flag, photo found near apartment dumpster
After finding a burial flag and a photo of a man in uniform near a dumpster, a Phoenix woman is using social media to try to track down his family.
A Phoenix woman is using social media to help connect an item with a family.
Donna Dewberry spotted a triangular wooden box Sunday while driving past a dumpster at a north Phoenix apartment complex near Bell Road and 16th Street.
She stopped her car and realized the box contained a burial flag and a photo of a man in uniform.
“It’s obviously a family heirloom and there’s a family that this belongs to and they are a grieving family,” said Dewberry. “They lost somebody, so I want to make sure it gets back to them.”
She believes the photo is of a man who served in the U.S. Navy.
In order to find the man’s family, Dewberry posted on Facebook asking for help.
“Everybody seems to put everything
on social media, so I thought maybe that would work. I made it public ’cause I don’t know what else to do,” said Dewberry. “What do I do with it? I wasn’t going to leave it there.”
Her post had received more than 40 shares at the time of this writing. Some people suggested she contact the American Legion and other veteran organizations.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs can help find the families of lost burial flags. However, a name of the veteran is needed. Dewberry was not able to find a name inside the box or on the back of the photo.
She said she would be elated if she could reunite the flag with the man’s family.
“It would be such a wonderful thing to know that it was back where it belongs,” said Dewberry.
Reach out to Dewberry on Facebook if you have any information.