LANSING – Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs returned a Purple Heart medal to the grandson of Army Cpl. Henry Van Der Noord, a World War II veteran from Lansing, Illinois. The medal, awarded for injuries sustained during the 1945 campaign to liberate the Philippines, was found in an abandoned safe deposit box turned over to the state. Van Der Noord was one of four brothers who served in the war, all of whom returned home safely. The medal was given to his grandson, Christopher Reed, a veteran himself, as part of Operation Purple Heart, a program dedicated to reuniting families with lost military honors. This marks the 13th successful return by the Illinois Treasurer’s Office, which safeguards unclaimed property including military awards.
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