The families of Connecticut veterans were reunited with their loved ones' medals during a ceremony Tuesday in Hartford.
The medals were recovered through the state's unclaimed property program. The program protects items stored at businesses such as banks, which are then turned over to the state after those businesses lose contact with the item's owners. Officials say the medals were safeguarded by the Connecticut Department of Veterans Affairs and the Office of the Treasurer.
Ted Kozlowski's uncle, Corporal Edmund F. Dobek, posthumously earned a Silver Star for his service in the Korean War. Officials say Dobek was killed in action after he stepped on a landmine while carrying a wounded comrade to safety. He was only 22-years-old.
Kozlowski says he is grateful that officials honored his uncle's life and heroism.
"Without fail, they all spoke of him as a kind, gentle and very caring man. So it's no surprise to me that a person who, at an age as early as that, was so highly thought of in the family [as someone] who would be the kind of person to give his life," he said.