KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Missouri State Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick announced that his office has returned a Bronze Star held in Unclaimed Property to the recipient's family.
Rick Dovell, who passed away in 2017, received the Bronze Star for his actions while serving in Vietnam War.
Dovell’s daughter was able to claim the medal.
“What this medal represents to me, by having it back in my possession, is that my father's sacrifice to the United States being drafted in his youth was not in vain," Kelley Maddox, Dovell’s daughter, said in a press release.
The State Treasurer’s Office worked with KSHB 41 I-Team Producer Lisa McCormick, who connected with Mr. Dovell’s family after seeing the Treasurer’s Office Veterans Day press release.
“I am grateful that we were able to return this important heirloom to the Dovell family," Treasurer Fitzpatrick said. "The medals we hold represent sacrifice and service to our country and the meaning of that is not lost on the Treasurer’s Office. Returning Unclaimed Property to rightful owners is often a team effort and I thank Lisa McCormick for her dedication to finding the Dovells."
Entities such as financial institutions, businesses and government agencies are required to turn over Unclaimed Property to the office after there has been no document transaction or contact with the owner for five years.
One in 10 Missourians has unclaimed property, and the average return is $300, according to the office.
The office currently holds more than 110 military medals, including six purple hearts and three bronze stars. A full list of medals, names, and last known addresses of the safe deposit box owners can be found here.
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