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Navy Sailor's keepsake stolen in car break-in coming home for holidays

Fallen Marine friend's memento missing
Posted at 11:05 PM, Dec 22, 2017
and last updated 2017-12-23 02:24:49-05

(KGTV) - A Sailor is hoping whoever broke into his car will return at least one of the stolen items.

Steven Siegelbrown is active duty Navy and got the holidays off this year. 

He drove 18-hours from Montana to San Diego on Wednesday to spend time with loved ones and figured he’d unpack in the morning.

When he went to his car the next morning, he discovered a smashed rear window.

His car had been ransacked, his center console cleared out and his deployment bag with thousands of dollars of belongings in it was gone.

“Unfortunately this deployment bag has a little more meaning than being a deployment bag,” said Siegelbrown.

That’s because the bag is not his, or at least it wasn’t until Afghanistan in 2012.

“Three of my buddies go out on patrol and get killed,” said Siegelbrown, “and that was the only thing I had from one of them.”

Siegelbrown says he’s carried his fallen Marine friend’s pack with him for the last five years.

It’s been from just about everywhere from Germany to the African coast.

The Sailor is hoping the thieves will do the honorable thing because that’s what it means to Siegelbrown.

“You can’t really expect them to” said Siegelbrown,” but if they have any heart at all they’ll give it back.”