You are seeking to honor your father…that is very dear. A suggestion . . . don’t place the pistol and rifle tags in that memory shadow box. That being a memory box you want to bring to the surface memories of him being brave, honorable, being an honor to his country them asking him to serve…to bring those memories to the surface. He most likely did use that pistol to kill another in war…Bringing his memory to that moment of lining up the aim to take anothers life and killing someone else’s husband, son, father…maybe not a memory that is needed to be brought up in that memory box. War does happen…killing during war does happen…It’s a GREAT sadness…yet as humans that’s what we’ve done for centuries. Yet…just a suggestion…don’t bring the memory of him killing another with that same pistol (or even the rifle tags) by placing it as a place of honor in that memory box to have right in front to constantly see. Just a thought.

Aside from that…it’s dear to read that you are a son who loves his father and is seeking to honor him both as your father and an individual man. Is there another shadow memory box that has memories of the environment he raised you as his son? A shadow box showing fish hooks, nails from wood projects, a stone representing how he taught you how to skip a stone, a pic. of a fav. movie just you and he especially enjoyed, shoe lace from a camping trip. . . etc.? Your memories are your own…these are just thoughts.

Peace to you.
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I would contact the department of Veterans Affairs. His DD214 will be on record there. They have a web site too…www.va.gov Hope this helps you

If you could get his SSN, you could right to the office of vital records or even the Department of Defense (try their websites for more information too) and see how you could obtain this information. If it is from the Korean War, then be prepared to wait a couple of weeks because this information has most likely been micro-fished and placed into a records storage place underground in Colorado I believe. In any event I’m sure contacting the Department of Defense will get you all the information, or at least pointed in the right direction.

You might check with War Records in your state. If you could get a copy of his DD214, you’ll know exactly what awards he got and maybe even get them online.