KNIGHTS FERRY, Calif. — On the 75th anniversary of D-Day, a Knights Ferry family of a veteran who was there when allied forces stormed the beaches of Normandy, France, was presented with a very special honor.
Congressman Josh Harder's office helped replace a few of Robert Rogers' medals earned from World War II.
"Thank you so much. This will be treasured by my family forever," said Sally Goehring, Rogers' daughter.
For Goehring, these are more than just a few medals.
"There's not a day that goes by that I don't think of him," she said.
Rogers helped take the beaches of Normandy just a month shy of his 19th birthday.
"It's just amazing, it's amazing what he did, what the country did, what the allies did. They changed history," she said.
Rogers lived to tell the stories about it but passed away more than 20 years ago. It wasn't until a few months ago when Goehring noticed one of his medals was missing.
"My husband found a little box, it was a jewelry box and one was missing. It was off the ribbon and we looked and it wasn't there," she said.
So, on a whim a few months ago, she called Harder's office for help.
"I wanted to see if I could possibly replace just the one not knowing he had earned several others," she said.
"We wanted to make sure we got it back to the family in time for the 75th anniversary of D-Day," Rep. Josh Harder, (D-Turlock), said.
Harder's office was able to go a step further and track down his service record, where they found three more medals he earned but never received.
"I didn't know exactly what he had done or earned or what he was awarded and this is just unbelievable," Goehring said.
It was an emotional day for Goehring, who said she had never been prouder to be his daughter.
"They were all kids and there were thousands and thousands, but he was my dad and I just want that preserved and honored always," she said.
It is also an honor that Harder said he wants to help more local veterans reconnect.
"I think a lot of veterans don't know that this is actually possible. They don't know they can actually reach out to their member of Congress to get help, whether it's help with the Veteran's Administration or [to] get help retrieving some medals, but this is one of the most important services we offer," he said.
If you are looking to replace a lost medal or recover a medal you think you may have qualified for but never received, you can contact Harder's office directly for help.
You can email them at harder.house.gov or call his office at 209-579-5458.
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