AN Army veteran from the Glass House Mountains has been reunited with his service medals by police two years after they were stolen in a home robbery.
Rick Canhan, who served for over 20 years in the Royal Australian Regiment, was handed back his 22 medals by Caboolture police after they were found in parkland by a man walking his dog.
Police told Rick they were located in a bag that had seemingly been randomly dropped in a park just one kilometre from the Caboolture station.
The medals were stolen in October 2019 when thieves smashed down their front door during a storm. The invasion nearly tore the door frame away with the thieves then rifling through cupboards and drawers looking for valuables.
They stole personal items including cash, cameras, keys and a box containing the medals, which included a medal his grandfather received for service during World War II.
“I was devastated for a long time,” he said.
“Everything else was covered by insurance, but obviously not the medals. That was the one thing I couldn’t get back.”
“I think eventually someone got the guilts and dumped it near the police station,” Rick added, saying he thinks he and his wife had passed the thieves in their car as they returned home.
Neighbours had heard a loud noise but thought it was the sound of thunder.
He said he was hoping to reach out to the man who found the medals, saying he owed him a huge thank you.
The veteran had served around Australia as well as undertaking tours in Malaysia and a peacemaking mission in East Timor.
