Late-19th Century Marksmanship Medals Returned to Springfield Armory in Ceremony

BOSTON - In a ceremony held earlier today, the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts, the Boston Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the National Park Service (NPS) marked the return of late-19th century marksmanship medals that had been missing from the Springfield Armory for decades.

The medals, totaling 24 in number, were unlawfully removed from the Springfield Armory, a national historic site located in Springfield, Massachusetts, in the 1990s. During the ceremony, United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins highlighted the importance of preserving these artifacts for the benefit of the public and emphasized the collaborative efforts between the FBI, NPS, and her office's Asset Recovery Unit in successfully recovering and returning the medals to their rightful home.

Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Boston Division, expressed the significance of returning these treasured medals, emphasizing the loss experienced by visitors who were unable to view these historically significant pieces of military history during their absence. He further underscored the FBI's commitment to combatting theft and the sale of stolen historical property.

Kirsten Talken-Spaulding, Deputy Regional Director of the National Park Service, expressed gratitude for the federal law enforcement officers' efforts and expressed satisfaction in having the medals returned to their rightful owners, the American people. She acknowledged the expertise of the federal employees at the Springfield Armory in preserving these artifacts for future generations.

The marksmanship medals were originally awarded to Milan Bull and Freeman Bull, members of the Massachusetts Volunteer Militia in the late 1800s. The daughter and niece of Freeman Bull and Milan Bull had donated the medals to the Springfield Armory in 1944.

The investigation into the missing medals began in October 2021 when a collector contacted Curator Alex MacKenzie at the Springfield Armory inquiring about the marksmanship medals. Upon cross-referencing the collector's items with the Armory's collection, it was discovered that numerous items matching the collector's description had been missing since the 1990s.

Subsequently, the FBI seized the medals. It is important to note that embezzling, stealing, or knowingly converting government property, as well as selling or disposing of government property without authority, is a violation of federal law.

In July 2022, the United States Attorney's Office filed a civil forfeiture action against the medals. This action allowed third parties to assert claims to the property, which had to be resolved before the medals could be forfeited to the United States and returned to their rightful owners. Following the conclusion of the forfeiture case, the Department of Justice granted the National Park Service's petition for remission, facilitating the return of the medals.

The announcement regarding the return of the medals was made by U.S. Attorney Rollins, FBI SAC Bonavolonta, and NPS Deputy Regional Director Talken-Spauling. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carol E. Head, Chief of Rollins' Asset Recovery Unit, prosecuted the civil forfeiture action.

The Springfield Armory National Historic Site, established by George Washington, is the nation's first armory and operated from 1794 to 1968. The site comprises historic grounds, buildings, and the world's largest historic American military firearms collection. For further information about the site, interested individuals can call (413) 734-8551, visit the website at www.nps.gov/spar, or follow the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/sparnhs.