Brownsville, TX (KRGV) — A Brownsville woman helped reunite a veteran with a shadow box full of family military memories after finding it outside a storage unit.

Cristina Esquivel and her son found the shadow box three days after Army veteran Raul Martinez accidentally left it behind while picking up items from the unit.

“That box means a lot to me. It honors me, and it honors my son. It's been an honor to serve our country, and I've always respected those in the military,” Brownsville resident Raul Martinez said.

Martinez served in the U.S. Army from 1982 to 1986 and spent time stationed in South Korea. His son also served in the Army for six years. Martinez’s brother made the shadow box to honor both of them, filling it with photographs and military items from their service.

“He wanted to honor both myself and my son, and he had come across some photographs of me back in 1984 when I was outside of my barracks there in Camp Casey, Korea,” Martinez said.

Esquivel said she knew the box was important to someone.

“I'm a military mom, and I wouldn't like my son to be out there and nobody to pick up his picture,” Esquivel said. “I'm very happy that it has an owner." 

Esquivel shared photos of the shadow box online and contacted veteran organizations to help find the owner. The RGV South Texas Veterans Group shared her post on Facebook, and within two days, Martinez saw the item he didn’t even know was missing.

"I thought, 'That's my shadow box, but what's it doing on Facebook?' We're getting ready for breakfast, my wife and I, and all of a sudden, I just stopped and thought, 'I got to do something about this,' so I immediately got on and I messaged her,” Martinez said.

Martinez said the experience made him realize how easily those memories could have disappeared.

“It could have found its way in the trash, and that's probably what would have happened if it hadn't been for social media,” Martinez said.

Martinez said he plans to meet Esquivel next week after returning from vacation to get the shadow box back.

“I am very, very appreciative and very grateful for Ms. Esquivel because some people, the majority of people, either would have picked it up, thrown it away, or, you know, damaged it,” Martinez said.

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