Local woman on mission to find owner of lost Marine ring

Published 4:48 am Sunday, November 24, 2024

A local woman is on a mission to reunite a lost Marine Corps ring with its owner.

American Legion James O. Hall Post 19 Adjutant and Historian Jesecca Creger, said the ring was found at a local medical center and was entrusted to the American Legion.

“I remember going to a meeting and somebody said ‘Oh hey, if anybody knows of somebody that lost a ring, they found a military ring, but we didn’t know anything about it,” Creger said.

Knowing the ring must have sentimental value to someone, Creger has been researching the ring and recently turned to local media to widen the search hoping to find the ring’s owner, but so far the owner remains a mystery.

“I think it is important to find the owner because this could be the memory that somebody is looking for, or if the person isn’t with us anymore, this is how they are going to be remembered,” she said. “Somebody, somewhere is looking for this ring.”

Not knowing the first or last name of the ring’s owner, their date of birth or Social Security number has made it almost impossible to search military databases and obituaries, she said.

“We know it is a Marine, his initials and that he served during the war, but we don’t know anything else and that’s what makes it so hard to try to find the owner,” she said. “It makes me sad because I don’t have access to everything to figure it out. It just makes it harder.”

What is known is that the ring is a sterling silver Marine Corps graduation-style ring with the years 1941-1945 on one side. The center is a red stone with the Marine Corps emblem raised on top of the stone.

The ring also has three initials inscribed inside which only the owner of the ring will be able to identify, Creger said.

The ring appears to have been worn often, but is well cared for, she said.

While the search has led to few clues, Creger vows to continue to search to find the ring’s rightful owner.

“We’re going to continue until we have exhausted all means of trying to find this Marine or the Marine’s family,” she said, adding that the ring is likely a reminder of someone’s service to their country.

“When I put on my graduation ring from (Air Force) basic training, everything comes back,” she continued. “My whole entire career. All of the milestones. It all just comes back so quickly. Even when I just hold it and look at it. It’s a love for what you did.”

Creger hopes to return the ring to its owner and learn the story behind it, but admits it could be emotional meeting the owner or family of the ring’s owner.

“I’m already thinking about that and it could very well be an emotional meeting,” she said. “To give them their ring, that would just be amazing. That would be a good day.”

Anyone with information about the ring can contact Creger at 276-791-2807.