Camp Butner Museum curator connects families history through dog tags

“These are our dog tags,” said Mike Mercier, the curator of the Camp Butner Museum.

“Every single one is cataloged with names and service numbers,” said Mercier.

Over the years, a relic hunter with a metal detector found hundreds of dog tags, donating them to the museum.

One belonged to the late Major General Paul Oliver of the Robeson County town of Fairmont.

“He also brought back a dagger,” said Shep Oliver, Paul Oliver’s son.

“I know where he crossed the Rhine,” said Oliver.

Shep Oliver also recalled how the sight of a concentration camp stunned his dad to years of silence.

“He didn’t talk about that a lot,” said Oliver.

Now, the museum curator is tracking down families of the soldiers who wore these ID tags.

So far, he's found 11 - including a 94-year-old veteran in Georgia, and the son of Paul Oliver.

On Veterans Day, Mercier called Oliver.

“I didn’t call him back until the next day and it really gave me chills. It was an odd feeling,” said Oliver.

The veteran’s son drove more than 2 and a half hours from Robeson County to hold and to have the dog tag.

“It’s amazing it's lasted, it’s amazing they found it,” said Oliver.

The curator likens his mission to solving a poignant puzzle.

“I mean they came from all walks of life, and all corners of the country. And they decided to answer their country’s call when it was needed the most,” said Mercier.