RANDOLPH, MASS. (WHDH) - Police in Randolph found the rare opportunity to return a military-style dog tag to the family of a World War I veteran.
In early September, a resident entered the police station after finding a lost item on Oliver Street. Police say the item appeared to be an older, military-style dog tag. It was inscribed with the following:
JOSEPH E. HUGHES
PVT
M.G.CO.
101ST INF.
U.S.A.
The officer at the desk, Officer Alred, did some research and determined the dog tag belonged to a WWI soldier. The tag was turned over to the executive director of the Fort Devens Museum, Kara Fossey, who helped find information for a Joseph E. Hughes. The officer then reached out to the public on the Randolph Department Facebook page asking to help find Hughes’ family.
Thousands of views and shares later, the department located the Hughes family in about 24 hours. The officer reached out to the Walpole Police department, where Hughes’ grandson lived. One of the officers familiar with the family was able to connect the dots and help Officer Alred get the dog tag back to the family of its rightful owner, which was officially returned on Monday.
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