Treasurer Stacy Garrity Encourages Pennsylvanians to Help Reunite Military Decorations with Veterans

Harrisburg, PA - In honor of Veterans Day, Pennsylvania Treasurer Stacy Garrity is encouraging Pennsylvanians to help search for the brave service members or their families, whose military decorations are safeguarded in Treasury’s vault.

“Since taking office I’ve returned hundreds of military decorations, but more than 475 remain in our vault while we look for the Veterans who earned them or their families. Returning these medals, ribbons and pins is an act of gratitude and respect for our Veterans, as each decoration symbolizes a part of their story of service, and honors the sacrifices they made for us and our country.â€

Pennsylvania State Treasurer Stacy Garrity

Since taking office in 2021, Treasurer Garrity has returned nearly 600 military decorations, including 13 Purple Hearts, four Bronze Stars and a Gold Star medal.

Two notable returns from this year include the return of a U.S. Army Good Conduct Medal to the son of WWII Sgt. George Pershing and that of a Ruptured Duck Lapel Pin to the family of WWII Veteran Earl F. Detweiler.

Born in Westmoreland County in 1920, Sgt. Pershing was drafted into the U.S. Army in the spring of 1942. While serving in the First Brigade of the Quartermaster Corps, Pershing was among the brave Americans who stormed Utah Beach during the D-Day invasion of Normandy and later fought in the Battle of the Bulge. 

A resident of Luzerne County, Earl F. Detweiler was part of Company I of the 33rd Armored Regiment, Third Armored Division during WWII where he saw battle during numerous campaigns in Europe. He was honored with the Purple Heart when he was wounded in action in Germany, becoming an amputee. He continued an incredible life of service being a voice for disabled Veterans across the state and the country. AMVETS Post #189 in Pittston is named in his honor.

“Veterans Day is a time to honor and remember each and every Veteran who chose to put on the uniform in defense of our nation. Returning these medals and sharing their stories keeps their memory alive for generations to come. The sacrifices made by our Veterans are impossible to repay. As long as I’m Treasurer, I vow to never stop looking for Veterans and their families.â€

Pennsylvania State Treasurer Stacy Garrity

Anyone can search Treasury’s military decoration database to help find Veterans and their families by visiting searchandclaimpa.gov. Pennsylvanians can also utilize the site to search for unclaimed property. More than one in 10 Pennsylvanians is owed unclaimed property, and the average value of a claim is over $1,000.

To learn more about the Pennsylvania Treasury, visit patreasury.gov. For the latest Pennsylvania Treasury news and updates, follow PA Treasurer Stacy Garrity on Facebook and @PATreasury on Instagram. You can also sign up for Treasury’s newsletter here.

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