Unexpected Discovery in Indiana Thrift Store Unites Family with WWII Heirloom

A simple shopping trip for Halloween costumes turned extraordinary when Zuleika King Rivera, from Indiana, stumbled upon a World War II soldier’s coat. At the St. Vincent de Paul thrift store in Fort Wayne, while looking for her children’s outfits, Rivera noticed a coat priced at $9.99, labeled as a ‘Halloween Jacket.’ This coat bore a significant name and military identification information: ‘Willibey.’

As a U.S. Army veteran, Rivera was immediately drawn to find out more about the coat’s original owner. ‘I come from a military family,’ Rivera, 29, expressed to Newsweek. The coat wasn’t merely an old uniform to her, it represented someone who served and possibly had a family unaware of its existence.

“That was somebody. Somebody wore that coat. Somebody served in it. Somebody had a family who may not even know it was sitting there,” she said.

Rivera felt an intense urge to purchase the coat and uncover its history. Upon returning home, she dedicated roughly four and a half hours to research. Limited online data forced Rivera to piece together small bits of information, including the name ‘Willibey’ and the four-digit Army service number. Her investigation revealed the full name behind the coat: Gilbert Alton Willibey from Indiana.

Gilbert Willibey, born on April 8, 1917, enlisted in the U.S. Army at 24, serving during World War II. His records mentioned time spent in South Africa and other places. The coat carried patches and emblems illustrating parts of his military tenure, which spanned approximately six years, including three overseas, where he achieved the rank of corporal.

Further research into his life unveiled that post-service, Gilbert married Dorothy and had a son named Bruce. Rivera eventually encountered Bruce’s obituary and learned he too had passed away.

Undeterred, she tracked down Bruce’s surviving daughter, Meghan Stewart. Initial attempts to contact Meghan through Facebook were unsuccessful, but recognizing a mutual friend helped Rivera connect. They soon exchanged phone numbers and began conversing.

Meghan knew little about her grandfather’s military past. Rivera eagerly shared her findings, reconnecting Meghan with a significant piece of family legacy lost for decades.

The transition of the coat to the thrift store remains uncertain, yet Rivera and Meghan speculate that an estate sale after Gilbert’s death could have led to its misplacement among other items.

Meeting Meghan in person marked the culmination of Rivera’s efforts. ‘When she stepped out of the car that day, I could immediately see it on her face… I understood it,’ Rivera recounted. She related the experience to her own familial ties and loss, emphasizing the sentimental value of rediscovering such a personal keepsake.

For Rivera, this journey was beyond solving a mystery. ‘The fulfillment wasn’t really in solving the mystery. It was knowing that those hours of searching resulted in another human being getting something back that connected her to her grandfather,’ Rivera reflected. Her dedication returned a cherished piece of Gilbert Willibey’s history to his family after a twenty-year absence.