When a man walked into A Pawn USA with the burial flag of U.S. Navy World War II veteran, Josh Barkan, the owner of A Pawn USA, knew he needed to find and return the flag to its rightful owners.
Josh enlisted his marketing manager Taryn Bushman to help search for the family. They spent months trying to locate the family of deceased Stm 2 U.S. Navy Veteran Aldene Williams (July 9, 1918 – September 14, 1970). Through research, Taryn discovered that Aldene’s daughter had the flag until she passed away and her house was placed in foreclosure. The flag eventually resurfaced when it was purchased at a garage sale and brought into A Pawn USA.
Taryn was able to track a link from an obituary to the names of Aldene’s living relatives. She contacted Ernestine Williams Swann (73) a daughter of Aldene and told her of the flag.
Ernestine and sister Essie Mae Barton (77) dropped by A Pawn USA, 811 E. Highway 50, Clermont, to receive the flag and thank Josh and Taryn for their time and efforts. The sisters said that the flag will be given to a nephew who is in the military.
The flag now rests in the hands of the family because of a selfless act of kindness.
