A Long Island business owner says he's desperate to recover stolen memorabilia that belonged to his grandfather, a World War II veteran.
James McGuigan says he received his grandfather's World War II memorabilia, including a purple heart and dog tags, after his grandfather passed away in 2002. He kept them in his office at a machine shop in Bohemia, until he found them missing last Friday, Oct. 28.
He said he arrived at work to find the shadow box containing the items gone, the result of an overnight smash and grab.
"My window wasn't drawn, it looked like my office wasn't lit," McGuigan said. "They probably saw it walking by."
The items were extremely personal, said McGuigan, who was close to his grandfather, Francis McGuigan.
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"My grandfather wore the dog tags all through the war, and he had them saved after the war," McGuigan told NBC New York.
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Francis McGuigan was a U.S. Army Ranger during World War II and was part of the first forces to land on D-Day, according James McGuigan.
Francis McGuigan, who died in 2002 at the age of 79, was Long Island native who lived in Brentwood most of his life, then moved to Patchogue when he retired, said James McGuigan. He worked on the first Apollo program, helping to manufacture components and working on the first 747 dashboard as a machinist.
James McGuigan said the dog tags were especially important to him. "There's no monetary value to them," he said. "There were tens of thousands of these made."
"This is more sentimental, personal," he said. "I'm just hoping they'll end up back on my doorstop. No questions asked."
