LARGO, Fla. — In August, two sisters stopped by lot 669 of Largo’s Ranchero Village cellular residence park hoping to discover a toaster oven or possibly a lamp among the many gadgets stacked curbside to be taken totally free.
They went residence with mattress linens and a U.S. flag from a 1974 navy funeral in Michigan.
They stored the linens however hope to return the flag to the soldier’s household.
“It does not belong to us,” stated Lisa Dernoncourt, one of many Largo sisters. “It belongs to the household.”
However, thus far, they have been unsuccessful in returning it and surprise if they’ll.
So, out of respect, Dernoncourt’s husband Steve Dernoncourt will construct a shadow field that may show the flag of their residence.
“He served our nation,” she stated. “We do not know him. However that does not matter. He was somebody’s son and brother, and he beloved our nation. That is sufficient for me.”
Contained in the flag’s fold was the laminated obituary for the deceased, Richard T. Morse, who died in a automobile accident in Virginia on the age of 18. There was additionally driver’s license data and condolence letters from america Navy to the household.
In September, Dernoncourt reached out to the Tampa Bay Occasions for assist finding the household.
The Occasions discovered that Richard Morse’s brother, Robert Morse, lived at lot 669.
A Ranchero Village entrance workplace worker who solely recognized herself as Sherry stated Robert Morse had died and the household positioned a few of his belongings exterior the cellular residence to be taken by the neighborhood.
She known as the Morse household and stated they advised her that the flag will need to have been hidden inside a field and they didn’t see it.
The entrance workplace then put Dernoncourt in contact with the Morse household in Michigan. Fearing it might be misplaced within the mail, she’s going to solely instantly flip it over to the household. However, 4 months later, they’ve but to attach in individual.
“The brother held on to the flag for a very long time for a purpose,” Dernoncourt stated. “It clearly was necessary to him. He was nonetheless missed.”
In accordance with Richard Morse’s obituary, he was born on Dec. 28, 1955, “and had been a resident of Flint most of his life.” He attended Markham Lutheran Faculty in Markham, Illinois, and Northwestern Excessive Faculty in Flint and performed little league baseball. He was survived by dad and mom Richard and Dolores Morse, brothers Robert, Ronald and Randall Morse, and grandparents Laura B. Morse and Sarah Stewart, all of Flint at the moment.
Navy correspondence with the mom recognized him as an gear supervisor third class with the rank of seaman.
“I deeply remorse to verify on behalf of america Navy that your son Seaman Richard Thomas Morse … died on August 9, 1974 in Norfolk, Virginia as results of a single automobile accident,” a Western Union telegram to his mom from the Navy reads. “Your son died whereas serving his nation.”
He was buried in Evergreen Cemetery in Grand Blanc, Michigan.
A photograph on the Discover a Grave web site reveals Richard Morse’s plot subsequent to his father’s. Each their headstones learn, “Buddies all the best way.” His father, also referred to as “Pop,” in response to the photograph, died in 1996.
Dernoncourt and her sister Terri Moore went to lot 669 in response to a publish on the Purchase Nothing Mission app that lists gadgets being given away.
“There was all types of excellent stuff there,” Moore stated. “Folks had been taking chairs and stuff like that.”
Dernoncourt grabbed mattress linens. Her sister then noticed the flag sitting on high of a pile of trash crammed inside a can.
“We needed to seize it,” Moore stated. “It did not belong there. It is an American flag. It must be revered.”
As soon as residence, they realized it was from a navy funeral. They then started in search of out the household.
For Dernoncourt, the flag has a private connection, she stated, as a result of her daughter, Jennifer Nicole Hyde, is at the moment in Afghanistan as a part of The Army Decide Advocate Basic’s Corps, in any other case referred to as JAG.
She nonetheless hopes to return the flag to the Morse household. However within the meantime, worrying it is perhaps some time and out of honor for Richard Morse’s service to the nation, the flag shall be displayed in her residence.
“Richard Morse was a patriot,” she stated. “He deserves to be honored, both in my residence or his household’s. I am going to proceed to honor him till we will get him residence.”
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