Military Belongings of First Woman to Die in Afghanistan War to be Returned to Family

An Indiana businessman who purchased a storage unit seven years ago has decided to gather together all of the significant belongings of the first female U.S. Marine to die in the line of duty during the Afghanistan war and return them to her family.

Some of the items to be returned include the funeral flag from her burial, her dog tag, military medals, her yearbook from basic training and even the Gold Star banner given to her family by the government after her death.

Mark Perko, of Lake Station, Ind., and owner of the items, did not give a reason as to why he changed his mind so quickly. On Tuesday he was adamant about keeping the items and selling them, but on Wednesday he made an announcement that he would be returning them. The story caught local and national media attention.  He said he thought he had been portrayed unfairly in the press.

“It’s just not worth all this,” he told the Associated Press on Wednesday. “I’ve done nothing wrong. My name’s been put through the wringer.”

Perko purchased the belongings of Marine Sgt. Jeanette Winters of Gary, Ind., when her family’s storage unit went up for auction after her ailing father missed payments. Jeanette Winters’ brother, Matthew Winters Jr., said he didn’t know the items had been auctioned off until it was too late. He discovered Perko owned the items when he returned to Gary last week for a dedication at the newly opened Sgt. Winters Center for Homeless Female Veterans.  The executive director of the center said he had tried to make an appeal to Perko, offering him $1,000 and four Bears tickets in return for the items.

Matthew Winters Jr. has been a strong advocate for his sister lately, even choosing not to return to his California home so that he could stay in Gary and fight to get the belongings back. Matthew Winters said that although he did not yet talk to Perko about his sudden decision to return the items, he felt relieved and eager to get his sister’s possessions.

“I just need a time and place to pick it up,” he said to the press. “This is the best outcome that could probably come out, which I didn’t expect.”

He said he is touched by all of the support from people and the attention from the media.

“I’m just thankful,” he said to the press.

Jeanette Winters was only 25 when a KC-130 tanker plane crashed into a mountain in Pakistan in January 2002. Six other marines died in the incident. Winters belongings were placed in storage for safe keeping after her father’s home was broken into during her funeral.

Perko said he immediately realized what he had acquired in the unit that he says he paid $1,500 for.  He found letters from President Bush, Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, as well as an Indiana General Assembly proclamation and a Gary City Council resolution. He also quickly spotted the framed photo of Winters in her uniform.

Perko claims that he originally tried to contact the Winters family directly as well as through a contact in the military. He told the AP on Tuesday that he was concerned that if he returned the property back to the family it wouldn’t be cared for properly because they had failed to take care of it before. He also speculated that they might try and sell it. 

Matthew Winters Jr. said he plans to bring his sister’s belongings back to his home in Twentynine Palms, Calif., and organize and study each item. Some of the property will be displayed in the Gary homeless shelter dedicated to his sister and he said some might be displayed elsewhere.

"I'm going to keep positive control of it," he said to the press.

Sources Used:

“Owner of Indiana Marine’s Belongings to Give Them Up.” Chicago Tribune. Dec. 1, 2010.

Clark, Ally. “Battle Over Fallen Marine’s Belongings May Be Ending.” Chicago. Nov. 30, 2010.