Man reunited with military tag and class ring after they were stolen more than 20 years ago
DALTON GARDENS, Idaho — A North Idaho veteran thought his military tag and class ring were gone forever after they were stolen from his car in 1998.
Frank Garcia never used to lock his vehicles which didn’t give him any trouble until one fateful night when he discovered thieves had made off with the spare change, military tag and class ring he left in his car parked outside his home in Hayden. He searched everywhere in his yard but couldn’t find anything.
“The change is all gone and so are my keys, my class ring and I’m just basically devastated,” Garcia said.
He says he didn’t care about the change, but the other two items were irreplaceable.
“You never know what something means to you, relationship-wise or property-wise, until it’s gone,” he said.
His life moved on, but he never forgot what those special treasures meant to him. He’s a proud 1973 Colton High School graduate and an army veteran who served his country for two years.
He says they were “two very important milestones in my life, and they were with me at all times.”
Garcia recently joined Facebook and got a message from a random stranger who had been trying to find him for over 15 years. He told him he had something he’d probably like back, and the two met up in Dalton Gardens.
“We meet up, shake hands, and he hands me the key ring with the dog tag and the class ring,” Garcia said. “I’m about ready to explode. It’s almost like the birth of my children. I am just flabbergasted.”
The man said he was sure they’d meet up. He just had to wait for their paths to cross. The long-lost treasures were found in Garcia’s old yard — the same yard they were stolen from over 20 years ago. Garcia now has a newfound sense of faith in humanity after a kind, caring and generous perfect stranger gave him a delivery he’ll never forget.
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