For the second time in a week, local community members have stepped up to the plate and replaced a medal that was lost by a local veteran back in November.
Rocky Gannon lost his Distinguished Flying Cross at the Florence Veterans Park on Veterans Day.
Paul Sanford, a disabled veteran who served in the Marine Corps from 1966 to 1972, heard the news and wanted to help.
Sanford said that he visited the Veterans Park and searched for the medal on several occasions, which is about the size of a thumbnail.
Sanford was unsuccessful at finding it, so he decided to use his own money and buy a replacement.
“It’s strange because to most everybody else it’s just a pin. Something to put on your clothing, but to one military person to another military person, it actually tells a whole story of what that individual was involved in,” said Sanford.
Sanford presented the medal to Gannon late Friday morning.
This is the second replacement that Gannon has received this week. On Monday, a group of students from Wilson High School surprised him with another medal.
“I am so touched by the outpouring of the community over the loss of this medal,” said Gannon.
--WBTW’s Patricia Burkett contributed to this report
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement