When someone passes away, his or her belongings have a huge meaning for the loved ones.
The diary that he wrote, the cell phone that he used for years, the necklace that he wore, and even a little note that he wrote have a lot of meaning to his loved ones.
So, when they lose his belongings, it feels like they are losing the memory of him. It’s heartbreaking.
And that’s exactly how Candida from California felt.
In June, 2015, Candida’s car was totally destroyed in the car accident. Her 2009 Nissan Cube was unable to be fixed.
It was really hard for her to scrap the car even after the total destruction because it formerly belonged to her son who died while he was serving in Iraq.
When he was killed in Iraq in 2011, Jose Torre Jr., an Army Specialist, was 21 years old. He worked as an Army soldier overseas and a 2009 Nissan Cube was the car that he had saved money for.
When Huntington Beach police officer John Baggs first arrived on the scene, he noticed the Gold Star license plate and the dog tags around Candida’s neck. As he lost his father in the Vietnam War, he knew that the Gold Star license plate signifies that the car’s owner has a fallen soldier in his or her family. He listened carefully to the story of Candida.
Officer Baggs recognized the feeling of the mother who lost her son and was at that time in danger of losing his car and tried to save the car for her.
Although the Automobile Club of Southern California said the car is not fixable, he did not give up. He worked on the car for months, but Candida didn’t know anything about this secret project. After successful repair, the officer surprised the grieving woman and gave her her car back!