DES MOINES — Garold Hayes’ family was overjoyed when they received the Purple Heart that had been stored in his safe deposit box and left unclaimed for years after he died. Now the Iowa ...

Instead, it has turned into a bit of a mystery. After a Purple Heart military medal was found in a deceased Iowan's safe-deposit box, State Treasurer Roby Smith arranged to return the unclaimed ...

The Purple Heart is awarded to military members who are injured and killed in combat, through an act of terrorism or by friendly fire. It acknowledges the physical sacrifice of service to the nation.

The deposit box belonged to Garold Hayes of Tama. An online obituary says he died in 2015. Wednesday, Hayes' cousin Nancy Clark accepted the Purple Heart on the family’s behalf. “Well ...