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Illinois seeks owners of forgotten war medals

A Purple Heart medal and combat field medic badge is pinned on the chest of U.S. Army Spc. Tamara Becker during a ceremony in Kabul, Afghanistan, Oct. 30, 2011.
(via Flickr/An Honorable German/by (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Chris Fahey/Released)
A Purple Heart medal and combat field medic badge is pinned on the chest of U.S. Army Spc. Tamara Becker during a ceremony in Kabul, Afghanistan, Oct. 30, 2011.

Illinois officials hope to return nearly 200 forgotten war medals and other military artifacts to their rightful owners.

Illinois Treasurer Dan Rutherford announced the project - called Operation Reunite - on Friday, Veterans Day.

Former Illinois State Rep. Ron Stephens, a Highland Republican and a Bronze Star and Purple Heart recipient, is the project's honorary chairman.

The treasurer's office takes care of the military artifacts, storing them in a vault beneath the Capitol.

Many items ended up there because they were stored in a family safety deposit box and forgotten. Banks eventually turn over the contents of neglected safety deposit boxes to the treasurer's office.

A list of names connected to the medals, dog tags, ribbons and service records is available on the treasurer's website.