World War II Bell Recovered, March 18

In the Fall of 2020 the Lane County Sheriff’s Office received a report of theft from a property that burned during the Holiday Farm Fire. The stolen property, a unique World War II-era US Navy ship bell, survived the fire despite all of the property around it burning to the ground. This bell had been obtained through proper channels by a serviceman upon the decommissioning of the U.S.S. Kermit Roosevelt. This bell is one of a kind and invaluable to its owners. After months of investigation, the bell was located and returned to its owners. Working from an anonymous tip, officers from the Springfield Police Department and Springfield Public Works staff played a vital role in locating and recovering this very heavy and valuable piece of US history.