An Arizona man who spotted a Purple Heart medal in a heap of jewelry at a flea market is returning it to the recipient's Oklahoma hometown nearly 70 years after he was killed in World War II.
Matt Carlson says he knew he had to buy the medal when he saw it at a sale in Glendale, Ariz. in February. The Vietnam veteran knew the medal is only awarded to those wounded or killed in combat.
Carlson told The Arizona Republic he found distant family of Clarence M. Merriott and they wanted his medal donated to the museum in his hometown. A ceremony is set for Monday in Stilwell, Okla.
Merriott died June 19, 1944 when the ship he was on struck a mine off the coast of France.
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