A Nova Scotia veteran who traveled to Halifax to mark Remembrance Day had his medals stolen from his hotel room.
Michael Deutsch, a retired Major recently posted to CFB Greenwood in Nova Scotia, stayed at the Lord Nelson Hotel this week to visit his two sons. He had planned to attend the local Remembrance Day ceremony, so he brought his uniform and medals.
It would have been his first Remembrance Day since retiring in August after a 41-year career, but a back injury prevented him from attending.
But Deutsch and his wife went to visit their two sons, leaving the hotel room around 3 p.m. local time and then returning around 7 p.m.
Her son, Adam, said that was when they discovered that “everything had been stolen from their room, including my father’s medals”.
The thief took everything, including jewelry, a tablet and a backpack containing the four medals. “I think it was a situation to grab hold of,” Adam Deutsch told CBC Maritime noon.
His father’s name is engraved on two of the medals.
“He’s quite pissed off”
He said that medals are a special service medal with a NATO bar; a 125 Anniversary of the Confederation Medal of Canada; a Canadian Forces Decoration with two bars and one meritorious service medal. Click on the links for images and details of the medals.
“He’s very upset. Two of those medals, he was flown to Ottawa for a special service to get these medals and they were engraved with his name, ”said Adam. “I have never seen my father so proud and he was very happy.”
Deutsch said the hotel and the police were helpful, but found nothing. The hotel only had footage from a lobby camera, and that didn’t help.
The Deutsch family are hopeful that someone will at least return the medals, perhaps dropping them anonymously in a safe place, like the hotel.
Halifax Regional Police said they were investigating the theft. They asked people with information about the case to call 902-490-5020, or warn them anonymously through Crime Stoppers in line or 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
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