A Kentucky man and avid military collector made a remarkable discovery at a local garage sale.
Zachary Kahmann from Cold Spring has had interest in militaria ever since the age of 12, when he was given several items belonging to his great grandfather from World War I. Since then he’s visited countless flea markets as well as multiple garage and estate sales in search of items worthy of preservation.
“These guys went through hell and brought home items to prove it,” Kahmann told Newsweek. “If it didn’t mean anything to them they would’ve been discarded sometime in the past 100 years. They are gone, but someone needs to take care of these items and to share the story.”
An estimated 165,000 garage sales take place across the U.S. every week, according to figures published by USA Today.
Over the years Kahmann has encountered any number of amazing pieces, but the items he found at a recent family garage sale were unlike any he had seen before. As a seasoned collector, Kahmann approached the family asking if they had any military stuff for sale.
“They told me to come back later and they pulled a set out of their attic,” he said. The set had belonged to a World War I marine. His surviving family agreed to sell Kahmann the items on the condition his story was shared.
“The family wanted the uniform and items passed to a collector that would share it and could provide the care the set needed,” he said.
After learning more about LaBare and his extraordinary life and career, Kahmann agreed to the terms. This was a story that needed to be told. He later took to Reddit, posting under the handle u/Zack4298, to share the remarkable story of Pvt. George LaBare.
Born in 1896 on a small farm in Kentucky, LaBare was one of nine kids. He enlisted in the marines in 1917 and was assigned to a machine gun unit.
“His tour of combat would see him wounded twice by enemy small arms fire,” Kahmann said. “His unit saw action at some of the most famous engagements of the war.”
LeBare was awarded two Purple Heart medals for his actions against the enemy. He was wounded in action twice. The first instance came while supporting an attack on enemy held positions near Clancy Ravine, just north of Vierzy in France during The Aisne-Marne Offensive in July 1918.
He was wounded a second time while supporting an attack on enemy held positions just north of the Orfeuil-Saint-Étienne-à-Arnes Road, during The Battle of Blanc Mont Ridge in October 1918.
LeBare eventually returned home in 1920 and married his sweetheart Julia LeBare—but his remarkable life story did not end there.
“After the war he came home, married, and went to work for the Navy as a civilian contractor, a job that took him to Hawaii,” Kahmann said. “A few years later he just happened to be working on base at Pearl Harbor when the Japanese attacked Dec. 7th 1941.”
LaBare earned commendation from the Navy during his actions in the raid. LaBare eventually left the navy in 1943, returning home again to focus on his family and a career closer to home. He eventually passed away in 1980, leaving behind a legacy that, until now, had been the preserve of his surviving relatives.
The fact is that uniforms like LaBare’s are very rare to come by. “LaBares items are special, a step above a standard WWI uniform,” Kahmann said. “The relatively few U.S. Marines that saw combat in WWI made history and set customs that last to this day.”
Thankfully, Kahmann has plans to ensure LaBare’s life and the role he played in both World Wars are celebrated more in the years to come. “I plan on keeping it as a permanent part of my personal collection and continuing to use it in public displays of veterans from my area like I already have,” he said.
It’s a remarkable find and a reminder of the kind of hidden gems that can be found at garage sales up and down the country.
