Cops: WWII vet's Purple Heart stolen

The treasured World War II memorabilia of a decorated D-Day veteran who died in 2002 were the only items stolen during a burglary of his grandson's machine shop in Bohemia, Suffolk County police said Tuesday.

"We are baffled," Det. Sgt. Alan Feinstein of the Fifth Squad said.

The stolen items included the dog tags and a Purple Heart awarded to Francis McGuigan, a U.S. Army Ranger who was part of the first wave of troops to land on D-Day, the sergeant said. The items were stolen late Thursday or early Friday at Concept Components, a precision machine shop on Knickerbocker Avenue that is owned by McGuigan's grandson, James McGuigan, the sergeant said.

The items were in a shadow box hanging on a wall of the ground-floor office of the industrial building; the thieves apparently walked across the lawn and smashed the window, but did not enter because they saw the motion detectors in the well-lit office, James McGuigan said. He discovered the theft when he came to work Friday.

"It was something cool to grab, I guess that's why they did it," McGuigan said.

Such military memorabilia is sometimes sold online.

The shadow box also contained a picture of Francis McGuigan wearing a uniform with the stripes of a first sergeant and sitting with his wife, Helen.

His grandson said McGuigan was one of only six men in his 60-man unit who survived a D-Day assault on the cliffs overlooking an invasion beach as they took out the large enemy guns that were shelling Allied landing ships. He was wounded later in the Battle of the Bulge and another action, his grandson said.

Detectives asked anyone with information to call the Fifth Squad at 631-854-8552 or Crime Stoppers at 800-220-TIPS. All calls will remain anonymous.