Crowdfunding Helps Australian War Hero To Buy Back His Medals Sold On eBay

Luke Jones, had listed all his medals earned during his military career on eBay to find a better life for his son. A crowdfunding campaign helped him to buy back his medals and find a new appreciation from his community.

The Australian veteran, Luke Jones was struggling financially to support his son and himself after a bitter divorce and shrinking job opportunities. He suffered from a post traumatic stress syndrome which made it impossible to find a stable employment opportunity. Jones listed his military memorabilia which included his service medals from Iraq, Afghanistan and East Timor for auction on eBay.

Brad Lipscombe, who came across the listing started a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds to return the medals to its rightful owner. This campaign was successful in raising more than $14,000 with over 350 people volunteering their donations. However, Jones refused to accept the money as he felt that it was a handout. He accepted the money after much persuasion but on the condition that any amount above $10,000 could be donated to charitable organizations like Soldier On and Mates4Mates, which supported Australian defence personnel. Jones was overwhelmed by the support and said, “This was the most up-lifting thing that has ever happened to me and I feel a sense of euphoria that everything is going to be OK.”

Reports have pointed out that soldier suicides due to PTSD was three times than that of Australia's combat losses in Afghanistan. It is estimated that over 10 percent of the homeless population in the country consisted of veterans and many suffer from mental conditions like PTSD. Defence organisations have been requesting the government to fund support institutions that can help in creating better treatment facilities and generate employment opportunities for the veterans.

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