Tennessee veteran finds war medals after nearly a week of digging through tornado rubble

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) — Symbols of hope in the rubble: Putnam Co. veteran finds war medals

A Putnam County veteran has been searching for his war medals tirelessly after his home got leveled by the tornado last week.

Monday, he finally found what he’s been looking for.

Chester Bush was in California when he got the call Putnam his subdivision was in the twister’s path, his home leveled. He thanks God he wasn’t there. Eighteen of his neighbors died Tuesday night.

“I think we would have been carried away in the tornado because the whole house left the foundation,” explains Bush.

Everything he ever owned is now in piles of debris outside, including a few things that meant a lot to this 31 year veteran, who served in Vietnam and Kuwait. For nearly a week he’s been looking for symbols of his service to our country.

Thanks to a little help from strangers he never met, things that were irreplaceable are now in the hands of their rightful owner.

“One of the guys stuck his hand down a little hole and he saw something, and he pulled out my dog tags and several ribbons and medals and started handing them to me,” says Bush.

Chester says this served as an important lesson, that in times of struggle, it’s always best to never give up.

“I just felt good all over it lifts my spirits, it’s made it worthwhile to keep looking.”

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It's been one week since tornadoes tore through Middle Tennessee – but one Putnam County veteran is finding hope.

Chester Bush's war medals had been missing since the tornadoes, but after nearly a week of digging he found them.

“Ok there's my dog tags that's my eagle from colonel rank that's been stuck on to them,” Bush said. “I can go buy another medal but when it was presented to you that medal means more to you.”

Bush is a 31-year-veteran, who served in Vietnam and Kuwait. He says he is grateful to the volunteers who helped him find his prized possessions.