Simpsonville Teen's Help Returns Purple Heart to WWII Vet's Family

The family of deceased WWII vet James Carithers now has his long-lost Purple Heart medal in its possession. For that, they can thank a Simpsonville teen whose love of history and genealogy helped make it all happen.

That teen, Hillcrest High senior Andrew Staton, said the story goes something like this: 

In October of 2012, Al Packard of Piedmont bought a record player at the Anderson jockey lot. Packard enjoys collecting and sometimes restoring antiques, and bought the record player to use for parts. When he returned home, he discovered that something had fallen behind the record player on the inside of its case. 

Pulling it out, he found it to be a Purple Heart medal from World War II, with the name James E. Carithers engraved on it. "As a son of a World War II veteran himself, Packard knew that this was a very important treasure and should be returned to the family that it belongs to, and began searching to find Carithers' family," Staton explained. 

After searching for a few months, Packard found a website called Genealogy Trails in January. That led to contact with a woman on the site who was able to track down Carithers' obituary. But, unable to fetch it, she reached out to Staton, who hosts the Greenville and Laurens counties pages on the website.

Staton offered to fetch the obituary. "However, I was so intrigued by the story that I began conducting online searches myself," Staton said. "I quickly began piecing together the Carithers family. I was able to track down an email address for Arrista Pottle, the niece of Purple Heart recipient James Carithers, and relay the information I had found back to Al." 

Packard then made contact with Pottle, who lives in Sebring, Fla., and confirmed with her that James Carithers was, in fact, her uncle who was killed in a plane crash in World War II. 

"Pottle did not know that the Purple Heart that James received even existed, and was elated to discover that it did and that it was being sent to her," Staton said. 

"Pottle received the Purple Heart in the mail on February 6, 2013, and was proudly able to share it with her sisters and family members, delighted to have the award in their possession," Staton said.

'It Felt Amazing!'

Staton told Patch that being able to help Carithers' family receive the Purple Heart was a special thrill.

"It felt amazing to be a part of something like this," Staton said. I have seen one or two similar news stories before and I knew that it was a really special case that I would love to be a part of. 

"I have never talked in person or over the phone with Arrista, James Carithers' niece, or anyone else in that family, but I have communicated by email with her," he added. "She says that it is absolutely amazing to have this award sent to her, when she never really knew that it existed. She said that her mom never really talked about James much, probably because it was still such a painful memory that he had died in the war."

Staton said his interest in genealogy was stoked in 2008 after his grandfather died and his folks inherited some family records from him. 

"Also I discovered the website findagrave.com and between that website and our family records, my interest was immediately sparked," he said. "After researching for almost three years I had solved most of the mysteries in my own family, and that is why I joined genealogytrails.com, to transcribe records for other people and help them with their search."

Added Staton: "In 2011 I organized a family reunion for a part of my family and put together a 30-page book on that part of the family that is in a few libraries now. However, I have never gone this in depth in another family like this."

Staton added that it didn't really take much inspiration or motivation to jump on the Carithers' case. It's just what he loves to do. But, he said, there was a personal reason that did help spur him along.

"Having been doing genealogy for four years, I am still fascinated anytime I have some sort of mystery to solve, because it means I can use all of my skills and solve it," Staton said. "Still, this case was exceptionally special because I knew how important an award like this is. My great-grandfather, James O. Staton, was also awarded the Purple Heart in World War II. After my grandfather died in 2008, the award was passed down to us, and it really is a special treasure to have and know its history."

More than just an avocation, Staton said he now envisions a career connected to genealogy, he told Patch.

"I plan to attend College of Charleston after high school to study history, then hopefully go to graduate school for Library Science. This combination of degrees should give me the best education and experience I need to work in some sort of libary or archive, making a career out of genealogy," he said.

You can read more about James Carithers HERE.