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WAREHAM, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — No one remembers Richard Porter saying he had lost his Air Force dog tag before he died. But to Porter's family, the recent discovery of the metal ID was like an echo out of the past.
A metal detector hobbyist named John was sifting through the sand on Little Harbor Beach on Saturday when he found the tags.
"It's a true sign of saying, 'Hi, everything's okay!' It's just amazing, it really is," said Daniel Minkle, Porter's grandson. Porter died in 2018, and was known locally as the "Thermometer Man," running the world's largest thermometer museum until his death. But Porter was also a Korean War veteran. John called Minkle and was able to get the dog tag back to Porter's family within a few hours.
"He was basically my father growing up...I was very, very close to my grandfather...it means the world to me and our family," he said.
Minkle said he'll be keeping the dog tag safe in his car so it will be with him wherever he goes.
WBZ's James Rojas (@JamesRojasWBZ) has more:
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Written by Chaiel Schaffel