After much searching, Pa. treasurer returns Army medals found in safe deposit box
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Pennsylvania’s treasury department often comes into possession of military medals, usually from safe deposit boxes of people who died.
Sometimes the treasury has a hard time finding anyone who welcomes return of the medals.
But a successful search concluded Thursday, as state Treasurer Stacy Garrity delivered a batch of medals and ribbons to members of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral near Camp Hill.
The items belonged to Timothy Marahoris, who served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War and who was a member of Holy Trinity.
Marahoris died in 2010 at 80. He was the only child of Greek immigrants and never married or had children. The treasury could find no living relatives.
However, an inquiry to Greek Orthodox church officials in Pittsburgh led back to the Harrisburg area and Holy Trinity, according to the department.
“These medals have found their way home. They have been returned to Timothy’s greater family where his memory and service can be properly remembered and appreciated,” said John Papoutsis, a member of the parish council at Holy Trinity.
Marahoris was a “respected member” of the parish and his aunt taught Greek there many years ago, said Father Micheal Varvarelis, the dean of the cathedral.
Varveralis and others stressed the church was home to many Greek immigrants and their descendants. Members such as Marahoris, while having a great love for Greece, had greater lover for the United States, where they found a better life, and valued the opportunity to serve.
“By receiving his metals today, we’re proclaiming Timothy’s and our own love for America, our new home and God’s gift for us,” Varvaralis said.
The treasury said it learned his father came to the United States in 1910 and his mother came in 1929. He was born in New York. After his family moved to Harrisburg, Marahoris attended Camp Curtin Junior High School, where he participated in the Glee Club and was named “most courteous.”
The gathering included Billy Kaldes of Harrisburg, who knew Marahoris from their boyhoods, and who recalled when his mother and aunt walked barefoot from North Third Street to the train station to meet him after he returned from the Army. Marahoris served for two years as a private from 1952 to 1954.
Garrity said “it’s evident that the congregation of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral is indeed his family, and I’m honored to return his medals to them today.”
The 10 decorations include good conduct medals and ribbons and others related to his participation in the Korean War and subsequent anniversaries.
Varvaralis said they will be put in a display case in the church foyer, where he hopes they will help young congregation members understand the importance of love of country and service.
Garrity said her department works hard to return all unclaimed property, but she has put a high priority on returning military decorations and memorabilia.
Garrity, a Republican elected in 2020, is a retired U.S. Army Reserve colonel deployed three times to the Middle East. She said she has personally returned 314 military items, including three Purple Hearts and four Bronze stars.
The treasury still has more than 500 military decorations, ranging from Purple Hearts to ribbons to dog tags and buttons from every branch of the service and nearly every major conflict.
They are kept in a vault and will stay there until an owner is found, with no possibility of ever being auctioned off, as are other unclaimed items after three years.
The treasury has a dedicated military decoration database that can be searched by visiting patreasury.gov/unclaimed-property/medals.
Garrity was joined at the event by state Rep. Sheryl Delozier and state Rep. Greg Rothman.