World War II Dog Tags come home

World War II Dog Tags come home (Image 1) (Copyright by WSLS - All rights reserved)

(NBC NEWS) - Seventy years have passed since the D-Day Battle at Normandy. It is one of America's shining moments and today, the afterglow from that day fell on an 89-year-old Indianapolis woman.

Catherine Wallace was not there, but her husband James was. And today she got something returned to her, that he left on a Utah Beach.

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Catherine Wallace had no idea what she was in for. A resident of American Village in Indianapolis, she was led to chair in a room full of World War Two Veterans and was told Francois Blaizot, a Frenchman, had found something on Utah beach in France that he wanted to return to her.

"He found your husband's dog tag. I would like to give that to you right now at this point," Corey Goodwin said as he handed her the dog tag belonging to her husband.

James Wallace had told his children about the D-Day battle at Normandy during WWII. He was one of 160,000 Allied troops who landed on the 50 mile stretch of land to liberate France.

"He also sent a bag of sand that he dug up where he found the dog tag near Utah Beach," Goodwin added. Blaizot contacted veterans in the US who helped route him to Bob Kelly in the Grant County Veterans Affairs Office. He assigned Goodwin the task of locating the family.

"If nothing ever happens to me again this will be the most wonderful thing that has happened to me," Catherine Wallace said after Goodwin made the presentation.

"When I see that it's just a great memory. A great memory. A great tribute to the man he was," daughter Tanya Wallace-White observed.

It was hard for the family to believe. Robin Wong says she couldn't believe it when her sister called to tell her that someone had found their father's dog tag and wanted to return it 70 years later.

"I said, 'are you sure?' She said 'yeah.' She said they talked to the Army to find out where mom was and I said 'are you sure?'" 

"A lot of people would keep it for their own. He wanted to make sure it got back to the family. He is the true hero here," Cory Goodwin added after the ceremony was completed as he spoke quietly with Catherine Wallace about the find.

"What do you think about having that dog tag?" we asked her. 

"I just can't believe it. I just can't believe it," she said. 

"Do you realize how rare it is someone would find that on another beach and send it to another country?" we asked.

"I think it's a miracle. I think it's a miracle," she repeated.

IFD also honored Wallace for 21 years of service as well. When all the festivities were over. the greatest generation embraced one of their own.

James Wallace joined the Army in 1943. He was discharged as a staff sergeant in January of 1946. He retired from IFD in 1970 as a lieutenant. He died in August of 1997.

"This is my dog tag from 1942-1946. The Marines," Bud Hindsley said as he offered Wallace an opportunity to see his dog tags. 

"You are kidding," she remarked. "No, right, there it is," Hindsely added as he handed his key chain from which his dog tags still hang.

"Now I want to see yours," Hindsley added. Now she can't wait to tell them about her dog tags that her husband left on Utah Beach.