What almost became just another discarded thrift store item has turned into a mission led by local veterans determined to honor the memory of a decorated U.S. Army soldier.

The shadow box belonging to 1st Sgt. John H. Rose Jr., a World War II veteran who served in the United States Army’s 260th Combat Engineers from 1942 to 1946, was recently donated to a local thrift store. Inside were military medals, dog tags, pins and a photograph documenting John’s military service.

According to those involved, the original plan was to remove the medals and sell only the shadow box itself.

But one thrift store worker refused.

“My neighbor works at the thrift store,” Bob Peters says. “They told her to take the medals out and just sell the box. She said, ‘No way. I’ll Give it to Bob.’”

Bob, host of the Central Florida Salute YouTube channel and a longtime advocate for veterans, immediately began researching John’s background in hopes of locating surviving family members.

The shadow box revealed John was highly decorated, including multiple Bronze Stars and rifle awards. Bob later discovered John was originally from Missouri and had served under Gen. George Patton during World War II.

Despite numerous calls and research efforts, no one has been able to locate relatives.

“I tried to get ahold of family members, but so far we haven’t been able to reach anybody,” Bob says.

That effort expanded through local AMVET connections in Leesburg.

Bob Benderman, incoming chairman within the Leesburg AMVET Post 2006 organization and a Michigan resident, volunteered to personally transport the shadow box north to the local post where John was once a member before his death.

“He said, ‘I’ll get it up there,’” Bob Peters says. “The people at the post here decided we were going to make sure it got there.”

Benderman says he plans to continue searching for family members once he arrives in Michigan, including following leads connected to a possible daughter listed in John’s obituary.

Peters also recorded an episode for his Central Florida Salute YouTube channel focused on John’s shadow box, its history and the effort to return it home. The episode will document the journey to Michigan and the ongoing search for surviving relatives, while also highlighting the importance of preserving veterans’ memories and military history.

The shadow box now represents far more than medals and memorabilia.

For the veterans involved, it has become about preserving dignity, honoring service and making sure a soldier’s legacy is not forgotten.

“It’d be a shame for something like this to just disappear,” Bob Peters says.