From the Spotsylvania Sheriff’s Office:
With the hard work and dedication from a Spotsylvania Sheriff’s Office Detective, a local Marine Corps Vietnam veteran will have his stolen medals replaced. The victim’s home was burglarized January of 2019. Along with tens of thousands of dollars of items stolen, his service medals, ribbons and pilot’s wings were also stolen. The victim is a retired Lieutenant Colonel who served in Vietnam.
Detective F. Corona (Ret. Sergeant Major with the Marine Corps) was assigned the case and quickly identified suspects in the case. Multiple pieces of stolen property were recovered at pawn shops, however the service medals, ribbons and pilot’s wings had not been recovered. Detective Corona and his supervisor First Sergeant G. Hamilton (also a former Captain in the Marine Corps) began the plan to replace the awards. After contacting multiple companies, Medals of America based out of South Carolina, replaced the medals, ribbons and pilot’s wings and incased them in a shadow box. Members of the Jack Maas Marine Corps League detachment 1379 were also present.
The victim served in the United States Marine Corps from 1958 to 1982. The medals in the shadow box were:
Distinguished Flying Cross w/1 Air Medal w/Numeral 37 and 2 awards for Strike Mission Combat action Ribbon; Navy Unit Commendation; National Defense Service Medal; Vietnam Service Medal w/1 Republic of Vietnam Meritorious Unit Citation Gallantry Cross Color w/Palm and Frame; Republic of Vietnam Meritorious Unit Citation.
Civil Action Color (First Class); Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal w/device (60-); Naval Aviator Insignia
Three individuals were charged in the burglary. Sophia Unroe, John Underwood and Joseph Underwood all plead guilty to Conspiracy to commit Burglary and Conspiracy to commit Grand Larceny.
