78
Military medals stolen from a Kailua home last week have been returned to the family of a Hawaii Army National Guard soldier killed in Afghanistan.
Sgt. Drew Scobie’s medals were returned Tuesday with the help of an intermediary, who wishes to remain anonymous, the National Guard said in a release.
"The Scobie family says that all the medals that were presented to Scobie’s mother at his memorial service have been returned undamaged. The certificates that accompany the medals were also returned, although some sustained water damage. A computer, camera and jewelry taken during the burglary have not been recovered," the release said.
The Guard said the family "wants to express their thanks to the community for the aloha and support they have received during this trying time."
Karen Tao, Scobie’s mother, last Thursday told the media, "Those (medals) are very special to us," in asking for their return.
She added: "Those are memories that we have of him because he lost his life earning them."
Scobie’s wife was pregnant with their daughter when he was killed. She is now 3 months old. They also have a son.
Scobie, 25, was killed along with a Wyoming soldier and a civilian in the crash of a twin-engine turboprop reconnaissance aircraft flying a night mission in Afghanistan on Jan. 10.
He was an aerial sensor observer technician on the Medium Altitude Reconnaissance Surveillance System (MARSS) aircraft, which is based on a King Air 300.
In Hawaii, Scobie was assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 1st Battalion, 487th Field Artillery in Wahiawa, as a fire direction operator.
