Less than two days after a press conference asking for the public’s help, Lubbock Police told EverythingLubbock.com that officers believe they have located the family of James Dillion Adkison.
Officers were in the process of verifying the family’s identity and returning his Purple Heart and other commendations. The medals have been in Lubbock Police custody since 2000, following a failed robbery in the Hub City.
Adkison, as previously reported, was a Seaman First Class aboard the USS Arizona in 1941. He was killed during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. In 1943, his family was awarded a Purple Heart and multiple other commendations for his service.
According to Assistant Police Chief Greg Stevens, police are “relatively confident” that they have located the family just outside of Little Rock, Arkansas.
Stevens said police were able to track down the family due to help from the community and the media.
“We felt like we were gonna get a big response and we did,” he said. “We had a huge response with a lot of calls and a lot of emails.”
Stevens also said, “It’s not surprising to me. That’s the kind of community that west Texas is.”
Stevens said, they are working to get the medals back to the family.
“It would be nice to be able to deliver these on memorial day,” he said, “I don’t know that that’s possible – but it kind of brings home the meaning of what Memorial Day is all about.”
Look for updates on Everythinglubbock.com.
