About Unclaimed Property

Military Medal Protection Program

These important medals and military honors are protected for Tennessee veterans through
the Unclaimed Property Medal Protection Program.

Our goal: Reuniting Veterans’ Families with their Military Medals

While most Unclaimed Property is money or intangible property, there is a special exception when it comes to military medals, insignia, decorations, and awards recovered from abandoned safe deposit boxes.

These important items are protected for Tennessee veterans through the Unclaimed Property Medal Protection Program, due to legislation passed by the Tennessee General Assembly in May 2011, by asking banks and other organizations with abandoned safe deposit boxes to turn over any military medals, decorations, and awards presented to a member of the Armed Forces or National Guard.

Unclaimed Property works to locate the owner or rightful claimant of the safe deposit box to reunite them with the military items for their family’s safekeeping.

Medals, decorations & awards currently available to claim

As of Nov. 1, 2024, the following people have military medals, decorations or insignia
held in Unclaimed Property available to claim:

Owner Name Items to be claimed
Lynda Bell
 Two Military Dog Tags
Charles Brown
 Military Medal
Billy Hughes
 Military Medals
Margaret Foster Beeler
 Military Bar Pins
Ruth & Kristine Barnes
 Military Lapel Pin and Name Tag
John & Pamela Shandy
 Military Lapel Pins, Dog Tags and Medals

If you have military items available to claim, search your name here and get started claiming your property! If you know anyone listed above, please let them know they have military items available to claim through the Unclaimed Property Program.

Returning Military Medals

Treasury’s Division of Unclaimed Property works to locate medal recipients or their families to return these important family keepsakes to their rightful owners. In some cases, Treasurer Lillard has had the privilege of presenting
the medals in person to the recipients’ families who claimed the medals.

WWII Medals Returned to the Sanders Family

Four missing Word War II medals were returned to the family of the late James Sanders III, a U.S. Army veteran from Nashville.

The Unclaimed Property Division was able to connect with Mr. Sanders’ son, Jai Sanders, who claimed the medals.

Treasurer Lillard presented them to Jai at a ceremony in March 2023 at the Tennessee State Capitol.

Read Press Release

Returning WWII Medals to the Foster Family

Four missing WWII military medals were returned to the family of Joseph R. Foster.

The Division of Unclaimed Property was able to connect with the medal recipient’s daughter, Melisa Foster Washington, thanks to a Treasury social media campaign initially launched around Veterans’ Day in 2021.

Treasurer Lillard presented the medals to Mrs. Washington and her brother, David Foster, at the Tennessee State Capitol in November 2022.

Read Press Release

About Unclaimed Property

What is Unclaimed Property?

Ways We Notify You

Claiming vs. Reporting

Third-Party Locators

Contact Us

Have questions about the Unclaimed Property program?  We're here to help!

Unclaimed Property Division—Claims

(866) 370-9429

Mailing Address

Unclaimed Property Division
P.O. Box 190693

Nashville, TN  37219-0693

Courier Delivery Only
State of Tennessee
Unclaimed Property Division
Andrew Jackson State Office Building
15th Floor
502 Deaderick Street
Nashville, TN  37243-0203