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REUNITE DOG TAG OF FALLEN WW2 WAR HERO WITH FAMILY

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76 years ago a brave soldier by the name of Benjamin Cox made the ultimate sacrafice and died fighting for his country on the Island of Guadacanal in the Solomon Islands.  Ben was a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Army, he was killed in battle on the 20th March 1944 aged just 28 and he was awarded the Purple Heart for his actions.

My name is Dan and back in 2006 I was working in the Solomon Islands as an Intensive Care Paramedic.  Being ex-military myself, I naturally have a passion for war history and on my days off from work I would often find myself exploring battlefields of years gone by or looking through outdoor museums of World War 2 artefacts.  During my travels I came across an elderly gentleman who was selling some WW2 artefacts at the local marketplace.  My eyes were immediately drawn to Bens dog tag and from the moment I held it in my hand I knew exactly what I wanted to do.  Through broken english the old man told me that he had found the dog tags years ago on one of the many battle fields surrounding Honiara.  From that day on 14 years ago, I became the guardian of Bens dog tag and so developed my life long mission to search the world for his family and return them back home to where they belong.  

Over the years I did a great deal of research and sent many emails with little sucess until a few weeks ago I sent a random email explaining my story to the Bureau of Vetrans Services in Ben's home State of Maine.  In no time at all I received an email back confirming that Ben was Killed in Action and is now laid to rest in a local cemetery in Portland.  They also advised that the Bureau would do anything they could to put me in contact with his family.  Within a very short period time a social media campaign was estabolished and shortly thereafter my prayers were finally answered after I received an email from a lady named Eunice Cox who informed me that she was infact a relative of Ben's.  Since this day Eunice and I have shared many wonderful emails together, discussing information we have learnt about Ben and his life. She has also told me just how  excited her family are at the news that his dog tag will soon be returning home.  

For the last 14 years of this very emotional journey Ben has always been a part of my life and as the years past by the desire to continue searching for his family and return this precious gift has only grown stronger and stronger.  Now, for this final chapter it would mean the world to me to personally meet with Eunice and her family so I can return what has always belonged to them.  Any funds raised would go directly towards purchasing airfairs and accomodation for myself as I would need to travel from Australia to New York and then onto Portland in Maine.  I would be eternally greatful to anyone who has the ability to offer any kind of assistance in any way, as this would help me acheive a long held dream that I have been very passionate about for many years now.  It would also make a very special and significant differance to a family from the other side of the world who have unfortunately paid the ultimate price for having a family member serve and protect their country. 



I thankyou for taking the time to read my story, and I thank you in advance for any assistance you may be able to provide in helping me reunite Ben's dog tag with his family.

Kind regards
Dan

Organizer

Dan O’Sullivan
Organizer
Jerrabomberra, NSW

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