Veteran in Mesa reunited with his U.S. Army ring

MESA, Ariz. – A Mesa veteran has been reunited with his U.S. Army ring, after it was found outside a grocery store, and our cameras were there when Jay Harmon got to thank the man who stumbled upon his ring.

“Two years, 11 months, and three days,” said Jay Harmon, recounting the time he spent in service to the U.S. Army. “It was probably the best thing that ever happened to me.”

Harmon made a decision to join the Army when he was 17.

“They made a man out of me even though I was still a kid,” said Harmon.

This ring is a reminder of Harmon’s sacrifice, and Harmon recently lost it.

“I just noticed that it wasn’t with all the rest of my rings, and I thought maybe I dropped it in between the seats in the car,” said Harmon.

The ring, however, was not lost for long. Ken Jenkins, whose father and son both served in the military, found Harmon’s ring at a supermarket parking lot.

“First, I didn’t think [anything] of it. When I picked it up, it broke my heart to see what it was,” said Jenkins.

Jenkins knew he had to return the ring to its owner, and on May 18, our cameras were there as Jenkins and Harmon met up.

At one point, both men embraced each other, and as if a simple thank you wasn’t enough, Harmon also expressed his appreciation with a coin.

“It’s not a reward,” Harmon said to Jenkins. “It is just something between you and me.”

The two men are both left with a reminder of this day.

“To give back the ring that he earned and make sure that he got it, it means more than anything to me,” said Jenkins.

“That’s the way people should be: help one another,” said Harmon.

Both Harmon and Jenkins say they are friends for life.