Lost WWII dog tag found on beach, returned to family

A treasure hunter with a metal detector found something pretty special on a Massachusetts beach.

A military dog tag -- and it wasn't just any military dog tag. It belonged to WWII veteran Cpl. William Benn who served in the Air Force for 21 years and passed away in 2002. WFXT reports that Cpl. William lost the tag about 70 years ago.

Thanks to Purple Hearts Reunited -- a nonprofit that locates lost military medals and returns them to the veterans or their families -- and the efforts of Bill Ladd, the treasure hunter who found the tag, the mementos have been returned to Benn's family.

Benn's son, who is also named William Benn, traveled from Rhode Island to Massachusetts to retrieve the priceless tag.

William Benn tells WFXT: "It is his. It has his service number on it. It actually has my grandmother's name and address on it."

Along with the tag, Ladd discovered other military artifacts as well. Purple Hearts Reunited refers to them as "beach treasures."

Cpl. Benn received numerous awards during his time in the Air Force: the WWII Victory Medal, a Purple Heart and a Good Conduct Medal -- just to name a few.

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