71.1 F
Mobile
62 F
Huntsville
65.4 F
Birmingham
48.7 F
Montgomery

Alabama veteran’s military mementos stolen – ‘God forgive me, but I would give my soul to get those things back’

One veteran in Mobile served our nation abroad over a decade ago, and now the mementos he brought home to remember his service, his sacrifices and those he fought alongside have been stolen.

Carl Sanders, Jr. served in the U.S. Army for four years and experienced one tour in Iraq, according to a report by Fox 10.

Most of his keepsakes were packed up in a duffel bag that was recently stolen, including his uniform.

“I don’t regret one second of anything I’ve done serving my country and the people I served with,” he said.

To remember that intense time in his life he packed up the bag with most of his memories. From an Iraqi flag and helmet he found on a mission to his uniform, Sanders’ remembrances of his military service have been snatched away by crime back at home.

“It’s the boots I lived in, I fought in,” Sanders explained. “A soldier’s boots and soldier’s uniform – that’s more important than anything.”

Sanders is rightfully upset over the cowardly crime and is scrambling to recover the items as he tries to never forget his service to America.

“Those things actually reminded me of who I served with, where I’ve been, some of the things we’ve had to do and I don’t ever want to forget that,” he outlined. “I don’t ever want to let that go.”

Thankfully, a few pictures and some patches still remain, regardless of whether police can recover the stolen items. Yet, what was taken from Sanders goes beyond a uniform or mementos.

“I still got a lot of memories in my head, some are hard to remember, some are hard to forget, but as time goes it kind of fades away,” Sanders shared. “That’s why I’m glad I do have some of these things – I can always pick up these pictures and look back and always remember.”

While he cherishes what he has left, Sanders prays the thief realizes what was taken and does the right thing.

Sanders said, “Outside of monetary value things go a lot further than that. You never know what something might mean to someone, maybe the smallest little object.”

An American hero’s uniform stolen away and, with it, his very identity assaulted.

“God forgive me, but I would give my soul to get those things back,” Sanders emphasized.

Sanders is currently putting together a scrapbook, from what little he does have left, for his family so his service is never forgotten.

Sean Ross is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn

Don’t miss out!  Subscribe today to have Alabama’s leading headlines delivered to your inbox.