ONLY ON 3: Lost dog tag returned to soldier’s family

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — An army dog tag lost in 2006 is making its way back to the family of the soldier it belonged to.

Maria Ross, collects seashells. While walking on the beach this Wednesday, she made a special discovery.

“It was Veterans Day, 11/11, which is an angelic, spiritual day of beginnings. So I wanted to go to the beach,” said Ross. “And I looked down once and right by the water line was the dog tag.”

The tag belonged to Jessie Lee Tolbert, a soldier who died in 2012 after a battle with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

“I see messages from God in everything, and I believe that the angels actually set this assignment for me,” said Ross.

Ross said she hopped on Facebook and found Tolbert’s cousin, Kacey Warner.

“I was recruited to team angel for one day. And that was really cool for me because that’s my thing,” said Ross.

She reached out to Warner to return the tags to the family of the soldier who struggled with PTSD.

“He was such a beautiful soul, and it’s just sad to see young men and women go over there and sometimes when they return they’re not the same person,” Warner said. She said after all this time, she has comfort now.

“3 years, you know, finding this and rediscovering, it kinda brings peace,” said Warner.

Ross said she thinks this is a sign from the soldier.

“He lost these when he was alive and he was on vacation and he was on leave and he was happy. And then it went bad for him. But he’s not lost. He’s found and he wanted them to know that,” said Ross.

Warner said she is thinking of making molds of the tag to share with her family this Christmas.