Preserving family
military history 

Medals are in effect a shorthand presentation of the recipient's career and achievements. Many medals have been lost, some have gone to other branches of the family, and many have never been claimed. As time passes, these very people start to put their past into perspective and remember the good times along with the bad.

While many soldiers were permanently damaged by their experiences, they didn't like talking about the past, thus becoming a blank page in a family's history. In some cases, medals have been issued 50 years after the event. Some medals have been upgraded and for others, the qualification for the award has been changed.