Wanaque police search for owner of World War I medal

<p>Wanaque police have a mystery on their hands &ndash; who is the owner of a World War I medal?</p>

News 12 Staff

Apr 20, 2018, 11:40 PM

Updated 2,208 days ago

Share:

Wanaque police search for owner of World War I medal
Wanaque police have a mystery on their hands – who is the owner of a World War I medal?
Police say that someone brought the medal to Chief Robert Kronyak a few weeks ago. The medal had been uncovered long ago on Conklintown Road. Kronyak says that it was so dirty that he couldn’t read it at first.
"But then after I started cleaning it, I thought ‘Wow, what is this thing?’ It's amazing though. Funny because the strap, it actually looks like the strap that used to hang from the shoulder,” Kronyak says.
The medal is dated 1917-1918. It was a World War I medal given to a veteran named Dan Battaglia by the borough. The medal just says “World War” because at the time, no one knew that there would be a World War II.
"’Patriotic service in The World War.’  Because obviously at the time they thought it was going to be the war to end all wars so that was supposed to be it,” says Capt. Kenneth Fackina.
Officers discovered that Dan Battaglia was born in 1890 in Washington, and lived on Ringwood Avenue in Wanaque in the 1940s. But they say that this is where the trail runs cold.
"Apparently Battaglia is a very common name and every Battaglia that I've been in contact with is not a relative,” Fackina says.
Reaching out to veterans’ affairs groups also turned up very little.
“If it’s the guy they think it was, he was a bachelor, never married, never had children,” Kronyak says.
They have also tried searching funeral homes, cemeteries and social media - but still no leads.
"Worst-case scenario if I really couldn’t find an actual family member, which I will find, it will go to the VFW or something,” says Fackina. “But it feels like it should be in a family member's…hands."
Wanaque celebrated its centennial this year, and police say that returning the medal to Battaglia’s family would be a perfect way to celebrate their history.


More from News 12
Authorities: No indication of plane crash in Barnegat despite receiving distress signal

Authorities: No indication of plane crash in Barnegat despite receiving distress signal

2:29
STORM WATCH: Early morning storms expected to impact Wednesday commute

STORM WATCH: Early morning storms expected to impact Wednesday commute

1:39
Officials: 1 person injured in fire that destroyed Watchung home

Officials: 1 person injured in fire that destroyed Watchung home

2:36
Tractor-trailer carrying logs overturns near Little Falls day care playground; no injuries reported

Tractor-trailer carrying logs overturns near Little Falls day care playground; no injuries reported

Police arrest man accused in 15 burglaries in Lakewood and Toms River

Police arrest man accused in 15 burglaries in Lakewood and Toms River

2:06
Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial and Museum reopens to visitors following renovations

Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial and Museum reopens to visitors following renovations

0:24
Explore the Bubble Planet this summer at American Dream

Explore the Bubble Planet this summer at American Dream

2:03
Deadline to get a Real ID is in one year. Here's what you need to know

Deadline to get a Real ID is in one year. Here's what you need to know

2:23
Paterson public safety director derides layoff of sheriff officers, closure of Passaic County Jail

Paterson public safety director derides layoff of sheriff officers, closure of Passaic County Jail

0:28
TSA officers arrest Florida man for having loaded gun packed in carry-on bag at Newark airport

TSA officers arrest Florida man for having loaded gun packed in carry-on bag at Newark airport

0:35
Police: Elmwood Park man drove drunk, struck 8 vehicles; 3 injured

Police: Elmwood Park man drove drunk, struck 8 vehicles; 3 injured

0:25
Paterson man faces slew of charges in connection to armed kidnappings

Paterson man faces slew of charges in connection to armed kidnappings

2:03
Best of New Jersey: A taste of everything the Dunellen Hotel has to offer

Best of New Jersey: A taste of everything the Dunellen Hotel has to offer

0:29
Walmart reaches settlement in class action lawsuit

Walmart reaches settlement in class action lawsuit

0:33
Atlantic City man sentenced for drug induced deaths of tourists

Atlantic City man sentenced for drug induced deaths of tourists

0:26
Man killed in two-car Egg Harbor Township crash

Man killed in two-car Egg Harbor Township crash

0:48
Congressional action may help New Jersey seniors targeted by scams

Congressional action may help New Jersey seniors targeted by scams

0:37
Police: Man arrested after locking woman in crawl space in Atlantic City

Police: Man arrested after locking woman in crawl space in Atlantic City

2:09
Middletown moves forward with cheaper parking to offset NJ Transit fare increase

Middletown moves forward with cheaper parking to offset NJ Transit fare increase

0:48
Authorities: Construction worker who suffered fatal fall worked for K&D Contractors

Authorities: Construction worker who suffered fatal fall worked for K&D Contractors