Colorado hopes to reunite veterans and families with lost military medals

With Veterans Day on Nov. 11, the State of Colorado is asking veterans and their families to check and potentially claim military medals, service records and missing money recovered from lost safety deposit boxes.

Colorado State Treasurer Dave Young said Monday that the Department of Treasury holds 18 military decorations, including five Purple Hearts, two Bronze Stars and two National Defense Service Medals.

See video of the medals below

These items were discovered in forgotten safety deposit boxes.

"Our veterans have made extraordinary sacrifices in service to our country, and their families carry those legacies forward," Young said in a statement. "We have a responsibility to safeguard these military honors and do everything we can to reunite them with the service members and families they belong to."

The Unclaimed Property Division holds military medals and decorations indefinitely while working to notify the owners or heirs.

"Military medals are more than decorations. They represent a person's service and sacrifice," said Bianca Gardelli, Director of the Unclaimed Property Division. "When a veteran has passed away, finding the rightful heir can take time. We encourage veterans and their loved ones to search for these items and help us return these important family keepsakes."

Veterans and their families can search for unclaimed property through the Great Colorado Payback.

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