Veteran robbed of precious war medals

A woman from Massachusetts returned home a hero after a tour in Afghanistan ... only to be robbed of her military awards an hour later.

'She spent eight months guarding Taliban prisoners in Afghanistan, but just one hour after returning home to her family, specialist Jackie Gatti's military backpack was stolen,' 'Fox & Friends' reported.

Gatti is an Army Reserves Specialist honored with numerous ribbons, certificates and medals of valor, all of which were in her backpack.

Gatti and her family were celebrating her homecoming over dinner at a 99 restaurant in Chicopee when she says her backpack was taken from the bed of her parents' pickup truck.

WFXT reports that 'Gatti says she fell to her knees sobbing because all of the proof of all the hard work she had put in and bravery she'd displayed for the past eight months was in her backpack.'

'Things that I'm proud of, that I would have liked to hang on my wall. That one piece of paper that may be nothing but something to burn for someone else means really the world to me,' Gatti said.

Gatti's parents told WFXT they're offering a $1,000 reward for the backpack, but they're not the only ones trying to help.

Someone set up a 'Jackie's Backpack' Twitter account. The description reads:

'Army Reserves Specialist Jackie Gatti's Backpack was stolen along with her Afghanistan awards. Let's replace it with this Twitter backpack of thanks.'

The Twitter account is using the hashtag #GattiGratitude in hopes of thanking Gatti for her service.

She told WFXT some of her awards are replaceable, but the documents proving she served her country are not.