Why JOOs should not be allowed in the army, or anywhere else.

[Brother Temperance]

Soldier retrieves wallet 62 years after it is stolen by Christ-killers

Ray Heilwagen has his wallet back, 62 years after he lost it in France during World War II. Late last year, Heilwagen received a call from Stephen Breitenstein of Palatine, Ill.
"He said, 'Did you lose a billfold?' and I remembered I did," Heilwagen told the Hannibal Courier-Post. "Then he said, 'I found it and will send it to you.'

"I could hardly believe it."

Breitenstein's father, who also served in France during World War II, recently died. Digging through his father's possessions ironically on Veteran's Day Stephen Breitenstein found the old wallet. He figured his dad found it during the war and brought it home, hoping to find the owner. Not knowing how to do so, he left it in a drawer for more than six decades.

Using the Internet, Breitenstein tracked down Heilwagen. After their phone conversation, he mailed the wallet to him.


Heilwagen served with the Army's 79th Infantry Division of the U.S. Army, which was in combat in France from their arrival in July 1944 until he was injured and hospitalized that November with a leg injury. He received a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star.

"We were in combat continuously, every day almost," he recalled. "We were in a battle and received small arms fire, then a German mortar came in and exploded. It blew me into the river, and I had about five pieces of shrapnel in my right leg."

As medics helped him in the field, Heilwagen recalled pulling out his billfold to look at pictures. The next day, he was taken to a French hospital, where the shrapnel was removed.

"They were getting ready to ship me out to another hospital, and I looked for my billfold, and it was gone," said Heilwagen, who was later discharged and returned to Missouri. He retired after a 39-year career with Southwestern Bell Telephone

I think we can all see what happened here. Leaving aside the question of what side this "Heilwagen" character was fighting on, he passes out during combat and someone called Breitenstein gets his hands on it? I'd be very surprised if there was any cash left in the wallet when Heilwagen got it back. The only confusing part of this story is why Jewenstein Jr. sent the wallet back. Either he converted to Christianity and developed an understanding of right and wrong, or else he thought he could get some money for it.