The Parker County [TX] Sheriff's Office is trying to help one gun owner reclaim his prize.

Sheriff Larry Fowler said he was taking inventory of the property room when an old photograph caught his eye. It wasn't just laying around, it was embeded in the clear handle grips of a military-issued handgun.

"A photo that old certainly had my attention," Fowler said. He believes the weapon belonged to a soldier who served in World War II. The Special Crimes Unit executed a search warrant during a drug investigation in mid December. Although the suspect was not at home, the property owner told investigators he believed the gun was stolen. Officers found it underneath a mattress in the residence and logged it into evidence. Sheriff's deputies traced the weapon, which was not reported stolen by the serial number on the gun. Fowler said it was stamped, "United States Property," with model number 11911 A1. The .45 has clear grips with the photo of an unidentified woman, who Fowler believes is the "sweetheart" of the soldier.

"It appears to be of a significant nature," Fowler said. "It's more than likely [a photo of] his wife or sweetheart. He probably carried it in World War II. Given the condition of the weapon, it was well taken care of." The photo of the woman appears to have been taken in the 1940s, and does not appear to be wearing a wedding band. "It's in the original, excellent condition," Fowler said, noting it is rare to find such a weapon in good shape. "The gun was manufactured in 1943 by Remington Rand Corporation in Syracuse, New York. There's no way we'll pin it down to a sigle G.I. There were 2 million manufactured at that time, But its probably worth a substantial amount of money." Fowler hopes someone will recognize the photo of the woman, who appears to be in her late teens or early '20s. If anyone knows the righful owner of the weapon, or recognizes the woman in the photo, they are encouraged to call Mark Arnett at the Parker County Sheriff's Office at 817-594-8845.

PHOTOS:

Parker County [TX] Sheriff Larry Fowler inspects a stolen .45 handgun found during a drug search. The 1943 Army-issued weapon has photos of a woman placed in the clear grips of the weapon, but the original owner has not been identified.

Parker County Sheriff's investigators are seeking the identity of the woman in these photos. They believe she was the sweetheart of a soldier who served in World War II, and owned the weapon which adorns her photos.








The above information is an excerpt from a news article written by Danie Huffman and published in the Weatherford Democrat.

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