Returning WWII items to Veterans’ next of kin

Columbia VA employees worked together to help return WWII items to two brothers’ families. Both brothers were WWII Veterans.

A tube mailer with a large group photo mailed during WWII from Fort Dix, New Jersey, and a WWII commemorative medal with the Veteran’s name inscribed were dropped off at the front desk of the Dorn VA campus.

Items are usually placed in the lost and found in case the owner is looking for them. Illyana Vereen, patient representative, knew he had something more than just the routine lost and found items.

He gave the tube mailer with a three-cent postage stamp and a WWII commemorative medal to Derrick Bridges, chief of enrollment eligibility in the Dorn welcome center. Vereen asked Bridges to find a living relative to return the items.

“I was trying to research [to] whom the items belonged and I was running into a few dead ends. I had shown Mr. Bridges the full photo and signatures and we were just in awe,” Bridges said.

Bridges was able to determine their identities from the address label on the tube mailer and the name inscribed on the back of the medal. Decades ago, before concerns over identity theft, service members used to include their service number and Social Security Number on outgoing and in-coming mail. The return address label was partially torn away and the name was missing.

“The first thing I noticed was this number, which I associated as a service number,” said Bridges. “I was able to plug it into one of our VA systems that looks up Veterans with service numbers and was able to find Charles Knight.” The name on the back of the medal was Edward C. Knight, Charles’ brother.

Bridges determined that Charles had been treated at Dorn and had since passed away. Preliminary searches were unsuccessful, so Bridges contacted the Lexington County Veterans Service Office. It was determined that the brothers were from Gaston, South Carolina, but little more could be found.

“Oh, his son goes to church here.”

They started searching various genealogy and search engine sites, eventually finding an obituary for Edward C. Knight Sr. with listings of his family. Phone numbers were found but most were disconnected or no answer.

The memorial service and burial for Edward Sr. was at Beulah Methodist Church in Sandy Run, South Carolina. A phone number for the church was located, and after explaining what Johnson was looking for, the church secretary said, “Oh, his son goes to church here. I’ll be glad to give him your phone number.”

Two days later, Edward Jr. called back.

According to Edward Jr., his father didn’t talk much about his service. “I knew he had been stationed at Fort Dix, New Jersey. When they found out he was an experienced carpenter, he was selected to build new barracks.”

Team’s enduring commitment to honoring Veterans

 “My dad had four brothers; three of them were in combat. When they would get together, there would be some stories about their service,” Edward Jr. shared.

On March 13, a small ceremony was held with family members of Edward Sr. to return the items. Edward Jr. and his wife, Collette, attended the ceremony.

A magnifying glass was found and Edward Jr. and his wife scanned the photo, trying to find either Charles or Edward Sr. Collette found one that could have been either, since they look similar.

“They look a lot alike, but this guy right here is definitely my father,” Edward Jr. said.

“Returning these cherished mementos to the families of our WWII Heroes is more than just an act of goodwill. It is a testament to the team’s enduring commitment to honoring our Armed Forces men and women’s service and sacrifice,” said Oscar G. Rodriguez, acting medical center director.