The Springfield Armory National Historic Site in Massachusetts has recovered 24 Marksmanship Medals that were stolen from two brothers who had worked at the armory for more than 50 years. The medals were awarded to Freeman Bull and Milan Bull for their marksmanship skills at target shooting contests held in the US and abroad. The Bull brothers were also members of the Massachusetts Volunteer Militia, which is now the Massachusetts National Guard. The stolen medals, which were donated to the armory in 1944 by Freeman Bull’s daughter, went missing several decades ago.
In October 2021, a Tennessee-based collector contacted the Springfield Armory regarding medals he had recently acquired that matched the description of the stolen medals. It was found that he had unknowingly purchased them from a Massachusetts resident, who had bought them at a gun show from an elderly citizen in Pennsylvania. After the Springfield Armory contacted the FBI, a civil forfeiture action was filed in July 2022 to deliver the medals to their rightful owner. The FBI seized the medals in February 2022 and returned them last week.
The Springfield Armory was established as an arsenal in 1777 to supply the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. Since 1974, it has housed the world’s largest historic collection of US military small arms and has been designated as a national landmark. The armory’s facility was operated by the National Park Service and played an important role in America’s military history.
The FBI believes that the recent buyers of the stolen medals were not aware of their history and were innocent in the matter. Along with the stolen medals, the FBI also recovered a .31 caliber Colt revolver that had disappeared. The recovery of the Marksmanship Medals has returned significant pieces of military history and our nation’s heritage, said Joseph Bonavolonta, head of the FBI’s Boston office.
The Marksmanship Medals won by Freeman Bull and Milan Bull at the Springfield Armory National Historic Site are not just symbols of their remarkable skills, but also a testament to the armory’s legacy. Their recovery by the FBI after several decades of being missing is a great relief for the armory, and their rightful owner, the National Park Service.
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