Florida police detective buys a $1,000 Purple Heart to try and reunite it with its owners

• A police detective in Florida on Sunday purchased a Purple Heart that was originally priced at $10,000 at an antique shop in order to track down the family of its owner, according to Fox News affiliate WTVT.
• The detective reportedly explained to the antique dealer that he wanted to track down the family of the medal recipient and purchased the Purple Heart for $1,000.
• The detective, a US Army veteran, said he was “extremely angry” after he saw the listed price of the medal.
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A police detective in Florida on Sunday purchased a Purple Heart that was originally priced at $10,000 at an antique shop in order to track down the family of its owner, according to Fox News affiliate WTVT.

“I didn’t know what to think. It was kind of odd,” Sgt. Anthony Cerniglia of Palmetto, Florida, a US Army veteran, reportedly said, adding that he was “extremely angry” after he saw the listed price of the medal.

Purple Heart medals are awarded to US service members who were killed or wounded in the line of duty due to enemy actions. Nearly 2 million are estimated to have been awarded since its inception in 1792, according to the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor.

“It’s hurtful. It’s crushing,” Cerniglia said to WTVT. “We know what these soldiers do to earn this.”

Cerniglia reportedly explained to the antique dealer that he wanted to track down the family of the medal recipient and purchased the Purple Heart for $1,000. Purple Hearts come with the recipients name engraved on the medal. This particular combat decoration was awarded to Alan D. Beckwith, who was 22 years old when he was killed on June 7, 1944, one day after D-Day, according to WTVT.

Cerniglia did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment on Tuesday afternoon.

Cerniglia has reportedly been using publicly available tools to track down its owner, such as Ancestry.com. He has since found Beckwith’s niece and nephew, both in their 60s.

“It would be a proud moment for me to be able to return this to the rightful owners,” he told WTVT.

It is not illegal to buy or sell a Purple Heart; however, it is a federal offense to claim to be a recipient of the combat decoration for benefits.