By Kynedei Hobbs, Fox23 News
MCALESTER, Okla. — A Green Country family is asking for the public’s help to recover a missing piece of American history and a deeply personal part of their family legacy.
A Purple Heart, Bronze Star and Medal of Valor once belonging to Marine veteran Richard Chase are now missing. His son said finding them would mean bringing his father’s story home.
“These medals represent far more than military honors,” said Ricky Chase. “They represent my dad, his sacrifice, and a legacy that feels incomplete.”
Richard Chase proudly served in the U.S. Marine Corps before leaving the military in the 1970s. His service included a combat incident in which a grenade exploded near him, an event that earned him the Purple Heart. He also received the Bronze Star and the Medal of Valor for his actions.
Ricky said the medals were kept in a storage unit once owned by a family member, but when rent went unpaid, the unit was sold without the family’s knowledge.
“Situations happened,” Ricky said. “He was in Arkansas, couldn’t pay his bills, and he lost the unit. He was embarrassed and didn’t tell anybody. I didn’t find out until about last week.”
Since learning the medals were lost, Ricky has searched consignment shops, junk stores, and contacted storage unit buyers across the area, all without success.
“I would’ve gladly paid the bill,” he said. “Just to get the medals back.”
Richard Chase passed away in 2014. Ricky said the medals were meant to be preserved in a shadow box, displayed alongside his father’s photograph, a tribute that has yet to be completed nearly three years after the storage unit was sold.
Now, Ricky hopes someone who may have unknowingly purchased the medals will recognize their significance and come forward. He is offering a reward and said he simply wants the chance to bring his father’s medals home.
If you have any information about the missing Purple Heart, Bronze Star, or Medal of Valor belonging to Richard Chase, CLICK HERE.
