Murrieta Shop Owner Returns Stolen Heirloom Military Collection to Family

John Geurts of Chaparral Coin Shop in Historic Downtown Murrieta sees it all.

His shop specializes in rare coins, gold and silver bullion and war memorabilia. Many times, as family members die, their valuables are brought in. Other frequent customers include collectors who buy from storage unit auctions.

"It's not a pawn shop," Geurts cautions. "We buy and sell."

So when several boxes of war medals, artwork, weapons and apparel came into his shop in April, he wasn't surprised. But there was something unique about this collection. Most of the items were engraved, signed or embroidered with the same name--Lewis L. Millett.

Still not sure of the collection's significance, Geurts followed the proper channels. He submitted a JUS123, the form dealers are required by law to submit to their local police department in the event items are registered as stolen.

He waited the requisite 30 days, and not hearing otherwise, Geurts and one of his employees began to research Col. Lewis L. Millett. They soon uncovered that he was one of the most decorated Army colonels in history. Obituaries ran in The New York Times and Washington Post when Millett died at age 88 in November 2009.

But it was a local article run recently in The Press-Enterprise that caught his eye. This was local. The colonel lived in Idyllwild, and since his death, his son, Lewis Lee Millett, Jr., 58, had stored the extensive collection in a storage unit in Hemet to prevent it from being lost to a forest fire.

The article stated that the collection had been stolen from the storage unit, and the family was seeking the public's help in recovering it. A suspect in the theft has already been sentenced and is serving time.

CLICK HERE FOR UPDATE: Murrieta police detectives arrest additional suspect in the storage unit; seek second suspect.

Geurts purchased the collection from a storage unit dealer for a little more than $2,000, and was beginning to put a resale estimate on some of the items--the most valuable being a Medal of Honor issued to Millett Sr. for a Feb. 7, 1951 Korean War battle known as Bayonet Hill.

After learning the items were possibly stolen, Geurts explained that buying and reselling abandoned storage unit items is common, and that there must have been one bad seed in the bunch.

"Some how, these items got mixed up in that," Geurts said.

The medal was priceless, he knew.

Millett Sr., at the time 31 years old and a captain, personally led his platoon on an attack against the enemy in Soam-Ni, Korea, himself at the forefront, bayonet fixed, according to the Army Medal of Honor website. He charged up the fiery hill, and according to the account, "was wounded by grenade fragments but refused evacuation until the objective was taken and firmly secured." 

It was actions such as this, carried out with utter patriotism, that characterized Millett throughout three wars, earning him widespread notoriety.

Geurts said at that point, he knew the right thing to do. He contacted the Murrieta Police Department.

"I knew if it was hot, I didn't want to sell it," Geurts said.

Medal of Honors are illegal to sell anyway, he said. Geurts had been in touch with the Medal of Honor Museum, located on the U.S.S. Yorktown in South Carolina, where Medal of Honors must go in the event they are recovered. He planned to ship the medal to them.

Murrieta police detectives Jason Calvert and Andy Spagnolo contacted the Hemet Police Department and obtained a list of the stolen items. After going over the items with Geurts, Riverside County Sheriff's detectives helped arranged a time for the family to meet with Geurts and identify the items.

Geurts waited apprehensively, preparing himself for their reaction. He hoped they wouldn't find him at fault and he wanted to make sure the collection would be safeguarded.

Thursday, Millett Jr. and his wife, Amy, came to Geurts' shop to identify the collection, piece by piece. Turns out the Medal of Honor was official, but a display one given to Millett Sr. to wear. His son is still in possession of the original one, given to Millett Sr. in August 1951.

Among the other medals, also engraved, were an Army Distinguished Service Cross and an Army Air Medal.

The Milletts want to safeguard the collection to pass on to their children and grandchildren. Among the collection was a large painting that Millett Jr. had painted of his father, depicting the Bayonet Hill battle.

"At first when I got this, I thought it was just an Army guy on a hill," Geurts said.

But upon closer examination, the painting was signed by Millett Jr. Photos of the portrait appear in magazine articles about Millett Sr. Another of the portraits is on display at NATO Headquarters, Millett Jr. said.

As a token of appreciation for the recovery of the collection, the Milletts agreed to allow Geurts to keep a Military uniform and the bayonet used by Millett Sr. on Bayonet Hill. The bayonet is signed by the Army colonel and drops of blood still appear on the dagger's point.

They agreed to stay in contact, and Geurts said he was honored to have the collection pass through his hands.

"I would love to display some of his stuff in here," Geurts said.

Before Millett Jr. left with his father's items, he summed up his feelings about the recovery.

"God Bless America," he said.