Veterans Day is November 11th and its always important to honor those who have fought for our country. Unclaimed property can be lost cash, security deposits or other monetary items, however they also can include tangible property. Some of those items can be contents of security deposit boxes and typically include jewelry, currency and sports memorabilia. One of the lesser known items are lost military medals. These medals can go back as far as the civil war in some states. These medals are typically owned by deceased relatives where their property was lost to them in the estate process.
Some States Have Specific Programs For Unclaimed Military Medals
There are some states that have specific programs for ensuring lost medals are held until their rightful owners are identified. Pennsylvania is one such state and offers a searchable database for these medals. Start by searching by last name and the matches will appear. The online search doesn’t have specifics as to the type of medals that the state is holding, however they do offer a downloadable list that provides greater detail on the types of medals being held. In total, Pennsylvania is holding over 500 medals for our service people.
Oregon is another such state, but they hold far less medals. In total they currently are holding 17 medals, but they do include two purple hearts and a republic of Vietnam service medal. Their database also shows information about the safe deposit box owner which can help determine the origin of the lost medal.
Most states with unclaimed property hold auctions periodically to clear out their vaults to make space for new properties they receive. As far as we can tell, the only exception to this rule is lost military medals. These medals are held indefinitely until the rightful owners claim them. If you have a loved one who served, be sure to check the state they lived in at any point to see if they have any unclaimed property including military medals.