William Sapp, a U.S. Army veteran who served during the Vietnam War, discovered over a dozen military dog tags near the old Kansas City dump site along the Missouri River. As an avid explorer, Sapp had collected many treasures throughout the years, but none as priceless as these forgotten mementos of the past. In early 2023, Bill Sapp, his friend and comrade David Owen and Sue Quinn-Morris of Patriot Connections Dog Tag Project embarked on the journey to get all the military dog tags home to the veterans and/or their families.

In a heartwarming twist of fate, a treasured military dog tag once belonging to WWII veteran Clarence Kolka found its way back to his family after his death.

RESEARCH:

Through research, including military records and cemetery records, the story of Clarence M Kolka began to come to life.

Clarence M Kolka, born on April 26, 1916, left an indelible mark as a proud S/Sgt in the US Army Air Forces during WWII.

In a heartwarming 1945 article, we learn about the remarkable journey of S/Sgt Clarence M. Kolka, who diligently served our country and returned home to South Haven after an impressive thirty months of overseas service. Hailing from a background in aviation mechanics and proudly decorated with multiple Bronze stars, both in the European and Asiatic Pacific Theaters, he embodied dedication and bravery.

Prior to his service, he had married the love of his life, Betty Ray. Although Clarence was born in Michigan, in 1950 he was living with his wife and children in Kansas City, MO. Their love story endured through the years, and though Clarence passed away in California in 2003, his legacy lives on. Betty Ray, his devoted wife, followed him in passing in 2006.

They are both buried in the Riverside National Cemetery, Section 26 Site 1620 in Riverside, CA.

RETURN of DOG TAG to Family; Quinn-Morris located his grandson and reached out to him. At first, the grandson was a bit skeptical, but as they delved deeper into the history behind it, the significance slowly unfolded. It turned out that their family had a July 4th party coming up, which created the perfect opportunity to reunite them with the precious dog tag. She passed along contact information to Dave so he could send the dog tag to him.

Dave Owen was also met with a bit of skepticism when he reached out to get an address to send the dog tag to - it's not unusual for people to think its a scam or money is wanted. After Dave was able to assure him that there was no "catch", the conversation got much lighter. He indicated that his dad did remodeling in the evening and every Friday they would to to the dump and get rid of scraps. He supposed that may be how the dog tag ended up there.

After receiving the dog tag, Dennis sent a letter of thanks, and in closing said "Have a beer on old man Kolka". Enclosed was a check for $50.

For research documents and photos, see below. For details about this Dog Tag Collection, click here

1940 Census - In Michigan, living with parents and sibling.

1950 Census, living in Kansas City, MO