The Purple Heart received by those in the armed services wounded or killed while serving is one of the highest honors in the military. On Feb. 21, Foley High Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFJROTC) returned a Purple Heart medal — among other mementos — to a fallen Marine’s brother, over 70 years later.

Before Christmas break in 2015, Foley High AFJROTC was contacted by a parent of a cadet. Brandon Thompson, stepfather of Foley High School senior and ROTC member Justin Henson, notified them of some World War II items found in an abandoned storage unit in Elberta. The items included a Purple Heart, an unfolded American flag and letters belonging to a fallen Marine killed in action at Iwo Jima. AFJROTC decided to find whom these items belonged to and return them home as a community service project. Henson was named project leader.

Cadet Henson spent hours researching databases to identify the fallen Marine, who was later found to be Private Samuel Lewis Brock of Amarillo, Texas, born Nov. 26, 1926. Pvt. Brock was killed in action Feb. 28, 1945, at Iwo Jima. He was buried at Memorial Park Cemetery in Amarillo.

With this information, Foley AFJROTC contacted the cemetery to find the next of kin of Pvt. Brock, who was his brother, still in Amarillo.

Pvt. Brock’s brother, Lonnie Brock, told the students Sam was only 17 years old when he volunteered to enlist in the Marine Corps. Brock said their mother was against Pvt. Brock enlisting, but signed parental consent. Enlisting in the Marine Corps July of 1944, Pvt. Brock turned 18 in November of ’44, and was killed in action three months later on Feb. 28, 1945.

Last week, Foley AFJROTC returned the items to Pvt. Brock’s family. Lonnie, his wife, Avis, and their two daughters and son flew to Foley to attend a repatriation ceremony and receive the abandoned items of his brothers, thought to be gone forever.

During the ceremony, the WWII mementos belonging to Pvt. Brock were presented to his brother by Foley High AFJROTC, Cadet Col. Brandon Sexton, group commander for AL-791 at Foley High, Superintendent of Baldwin County Schools Eddie Tyler, Foley High School Principal Russ Moore, Maj. Morey Butler, representing the 5th Marine Division and the local Marine Corps League.

After a flag folding ceremony — while Taps was played — different members of Foley AFJROTC presented a scrapbook of the photos and letters found in the storage unit wrapped in Pvt. Brock’s uniform and a shadow box with the folded flag and Purple Heart medal. Maj. Butler and the Marine Corps League each presented Brock with a jar of sand from Iwo Jima.

Brock expressed his family’s thanks to AL-791 cadets for what they’d done for this event.

“We had no idea that we’d ever see the mementos of my brother,” Brock said during the ceremony. “And we do appreciate you so much what this ROTC unit has done and commander of the unit has done and what the marines have done for us as I’m sure they would do for anybody. From the bottom of our hearts, the Brock family thanks you.”

The repatriation of these items to the Brock family gives them closure about Pvt. Brock and his ultimate sacrifice to his country.

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Lonnie Brock with his wife, Avis, and two daughters and son, traveled from Amarillo, Texas, to Foley last week to accept a Purple Heart medal and other memorabilia belonging to his brother, Pvt. Samuel Lewis Brock, found in an abandoned storage facility in Elberta.

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Pvt. Brock enlisted in the Marine Corps July of 1944, turned 18 in November of ’44, and was killed in action three months later on Feb. 28, 1945. Photos and letters were presented to the family in a scrapbook prepared by members of Foley High AFJROTC.

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A shadow box with a folded flag and the Purple Heart medal was presented to Brock and his family.

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A flag folding ceremony was performed at the Purple Heart Repatriation Ceremony while Taps was played.

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Members of Foley High AFJROTC and the community expressed their thanks and appreciation to the Brock family at the ceremony on Feb. 21.

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A Purple Heart recipient salutes the Brock family as they are led out at the Purple Heart Repatriation Ceremony on Feb. 21.