Gary Family Wants Dead Marine's Belongings Back

Jeannette Winters was the first female Marine to die in combat in Afghanistan war

GARY, Ind. - The family of the first female Marine to die in a combat zone in the Afghanistan war is trying to get back her dog tags, funeral flag and other belongings from an Indiana businessman.

Mark Perko bought them when payments on a storage unit were missed four years ago.

LISTEN: Newsradio 780's John Cody Reports

Matthew Winters Jr. is the brother of the late Marine Sgt. Jeannette Winters. He says he's delayed returning home to California while he tries to retrieve the items now owned by Perko of Lake Station.

Perko says he's been inundated with calls from reporters after a story appeared Tuesday in the Post-Tribune of Merrillville. He said he's trying to decide what's the right thing to do with the property.

Perko told Newsradio 780 that it's not just about money--although he does want to be sure he's reimbursed for his expenses. He also says he wants to make sure the items are going to the right place.

Winters was from Gary and died in 2002 when a tanker plane crashed in Pakistan.

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