With Veterans Day fast approaching, the Illinois State Treasurer’s Office is asking the public for help in returning abandoned Purple Heart medals. Since taking office, State Treasurer Michael Frerichs has been on a mission to return Purple Heart medals to families…the medals in question have been turned over to the treasurers’ office by various banks over the years from abandoned safe deposit boxes. It’s difficult returning these lost medals, as a 1973 fire at a records storage facility in STL destroyed millions of official military personnel files.   Frerichs says now that people have done their civic duty by voting on election day, they should do what they can for the families of heroes that protected their right to vote. He’s asking the public to check out OperationPurpleHeart.org. He’s hoping the information there might enable the public to help identify whom the medals belonged to. Earlier this year his office opened the Operation Purple Heart website and so far 11 medals have been returned to the families of those killed or wounded in combat. Steve Potter, KTRS News.