Finds in the GARBAGE!

[Good Pwny]

Who throws this kind of stuff out?! Great finds for you, but come on, lol. Do people's relatives find this stuff and throw them out after they've passed away. One would think they would pass them down or at least sell them. Some people just have no appreciation of history, or service. That being said-wish I found stuff like that in the trash

[GIZMO8Z]

Who throws this kind of stuff out?! Great finds for you, but come on, lol. Do people's relatives find this stuff and throw them out after they've passed away. One would think they would pass them down or at least sell them. Some people just have no appreciation of history, or service. That being said-wish I found stuff like that in the trash

It is so sad, but true. I feel like I'm saving a little piece of history every day I find something/ something is donated to me!

[sebfrench76]

A decade ago,while wandering in a garbage like yours in France,i discovered all the military grouping from a WW1 vet,how had been awarded with a lot of medals.
It made me sick,i took the whole lot and offered it to a friend who was collecting this kinda stuff.
This guy gave his best years for being forgotten years after.My Great granpa was a sergeant during WW1,he suffered 4 years in the trenches,to be killed in Mont Kemmel ,Belgium,in April 1918...How bitter it is.....
But his souvenir is still in my mind.

[GIZMO8Z]

A decade ago,while wandering in a garbage like yours in France,i discovered all the military grouping from a WW1 vet,how had been awarded with a lot of medals.
It made me sick,i took the whole lot and offered it to a friend who was collecting this kinda stuff.
This guy gave his best years for being forgotten years after.My Great granpa was a sergeant during WW1,he suffered 4 years in the trenches,to be killed in Mont Kemmel ,Belgium,in April 1918...How bitter it is.....
But his souvenir is still in my mind.

Thank you for sharing that amazing story!

I can really only venture to guess why and how this stuff ends up in the garbage. Whenever I find something in the garbage heap, I always take it with the intention of saving it from destruction and I have the intention of returning it if anyone steps forward to claim it.

A lot of the stuff I've found are souvenirs that veterans brought back from fighting in Europe or The Pacific. I haven't found much American stuff. Maybe people are sentimental for, and realize the historical value behind stuff their relatives used during the war... but maybe they don't want helmets and other objects that have "evil Nazi symbols" on them... so those get thrown out?

The people who donate objects to me more often than not say something along the lines of: "This has been sitting in my attic for ages. My kids certainly don't appreciate it, so I'm glad you can use it with high school students!"

[GIZMO8Z]

Just to give you guys an idea, this is the mountain of trash I look for militaria in. Trucks are coming and going all the time, so the pile ebbs and flows :P.





If the orange machine picks up a load of trash and drops it into the yellow grinder, it's too late!

[GIZMO8Z]

Lots of Hurricane Irene damage... I'll let everyone know when we're operational again.

[matthewsq]

Oh no! Let us know how it is

[GIZMO8Z]

Things got pretty bad... the water crested and at one point it was about 4ft...



At about 11am this morning the water finally started to go down, and now we're open for business!

Lucky we were open today... THIS JUST CAME IN!



It's rusted, but solid. It has a hole in the forehead. No liner, but 2 of the split pins are present... and the chin strap is shrivled up, but present.

I'll post better pictures after work!

[GIZMO8Z]

Here are better pictures of the M16(?)

[Vegard T]

Very nice helmet! You could try some oxalic acid on it, that would help a lot!