Jeff Hertzog was recently contacted by a stranger who searched tirelessly so she could return his grandfather’s Purple Heart war medal.
She is not just any stranger, however. She turned out to be a second cousin, and the act of kindness brought together members of their families who had never met.
The Purple Heart was awarded to Webster E. Hertzog, who died in battle in Belgium in 1944. The above photo was the last picture taken of him.
“My father didn’t know him well, as my grandparents divorced before he enlisted in the Army.”
The medal, awarded by the U.S. military to any soldier injured or killed in battle, was presented to Hertzog’s parents—and it was passed to various relatives over the last 78 years until it ended up with Edith Gettis, the soldier’s brother’s daughter.
The 84-year-old and her daughter, Dawn Cambria, spent time trying to track down the grandfather’s firstborn son, in order to get the award into the hands of the proper family.
After searching through Ancestry.com and other social media avenues, Dawn found Jeff and reached out to her “new second cousin”.
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Jeff and his wife Kathleen finally got to meet Dawn—and her mother Edith when she arrived to hand him the Purple Heart.
“We then learned that we all had a lot in common, and will continue getting together in the future,” Jeff told GNN.
The meeting “proves it’s a small world,” says Jeff.
“Dawn’s husband knows many friends of mine. His family was also the owner of a swimming pool association that my family belonged to in the 1990’s.”
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“I will be ever grateful for this kindness and the meeting it inspired. It was truly a blessing—one which I will never forget.
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