Lost dog tag returned to son of WWII veteran
By: Melissa Randall
mrandall@abc6.com
@MRandallABC6
A dog tag lost by a Rhode Island veteran 70 years ago are now safely home in the hands of his son. The precious piece of metal was found buried in the sand at a
A treasure hunter was the one to dig up the dog tag. The name of the Pawtucket World War II veteran engraved on it remained intact all these years later. With a little help the airmen’s family was tracked down.
“My father is no longer with us and all of the sudden he was brought back there with us,” said Bill Benn.
His father, Corporal William Benn, passed away in 2002. The men had been close and shared a bond of service to their county. Memories of their time together came flooding back when Benn was reunited with his dad’s lost dog tag Sunday afternoon.
“It is his. It’s got his service number on it. It actually has my grandmother’s name and address on it. The address is a little eaten out but I can see the street and I can see my grandmother’s name,” said Benn.
Cpl. Benn made it safely home after serving with the air force in both World War II and
“What relationship does it have? Was he stationed here in the CCC? Enlisted here and then was shipped to
Benn plans to continue his search for an answer. His father’s military service will be his guide. The family says they will forever be grateful to all those involved in the reunion, especially the people at ‘Purple Hearts Reunited’. The non–profit foundation helped track Benn down so the tag could be returned.
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