text: After his grandfather passed away when he was just 12-years-old, Brendan Cordina resigned himself to the fact that his beloved World War II medals were gone forever. After searching far and wide for two years, the 36-year-old amazingly found the medals in the Northern Territory and drove over 3500 kilometres in four days to be reunited with the family treasures. But on his arrival at the Darwin Military Museum, Mr Cordina was refused the medals and told that they 'were more important to the museum.' Medals include an Airforce Cross, War Medal 39-45 Star, a Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal and others . Brendan Cordina (pictured here with his son Zac) drove for four days to find his grandfather's medals . 'I searched for years and really thought they were lost forever,' Mr Cordina told Daily Mail Australia. 'I started by ringing around RSL's asking if anyone had heard of flight lieutenant Captain Jack Slade.' Mr Cordina then began a national search and found clues that brought him to Darwin after two years of searching. 'After confirming that we had found the medals, we put it to the museum board,' he said. 'It took time to get an answer, but museum Director Pierre Akin responded saying that "the medals are more important to us and they're going to stay here.'" The museum instead offered to send Mr Cordina replicas to which he was  outraged. 'I was disgusted about it,' he said. 'It's the sentimentality, if they put replicas in the museum, the public would not know the difference, but I do.' After posting the rejection letter he received on Facebook, Mr Cordina saw the messages of support and decided to start a petition on change.org. 'I never for a moment imagined our family would be left begging for his bravery to be respected – yet unbelievably, that's exactly what NT Museums has done, rejecting our plea for his service medals to be returned,' the petition reads. Captain Jack Slade was a flight lieutenant in World War II and received many distinguished service medals . He has received of 15,000 signatures in under 24 hours and is overwhelmed by the public's support. 'I’m humbled and honoured that people are siding with what’s right,' he said. The medals for Mr Slade's service included the distinguished Airforce Cross, an order of the British Empire, a War Medal 39-45 Star, a Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal among various others. But Mr Cordina's biggest regret is that his ill mother will not get to see her father's medals again. 'She can barely make it to the front door, let alone Darwin,' he said. 'She'll never see them again if we can't get them home.' The Director of the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Pierre Arpin understands that the family are emotionally tied to these items, but said he has respected the intent of the donor. The donor was Mr Slade's wife, Mel Slade, who has also since passed away. 'Joyce Maden, who is the executrix of the will called us and confirmed that it was very clearly in his will,' Mr Arpin told Daily Mail Australia. Director of MAGNT, Pierre Arpin, said he respected the intent of the donor to have medals benefit the public . 'Both of them detailed what their intent was and it was to have the medals at the museum benefiting the public.' Mr Arpin said that after Mrs Slade's death, it took a year for the museum to receive an offer of donation as it went through the board for a long period. 'A note from Mel Slade herself says, "let me put these things where they should be because that respects my husband’s wishes,"' Mr Arpin said. Mr Cordina said he never knew about the will as his family did not have a relationship with Mr Slade's second wife. 'I only found out about this last night as it was never mentioned to me, not even my emailing back and forth with the museum,' Mr Cordina said. 'I'm still beside myself why this is coming to light now.' Mr Cordina is still hoping for the museum to override the board's decision. 'If anything were to ever happen I'd give them back to them,' he said. 'I'd just love for the museum to have a heart and hand them back.'
target: Brendan Cordina found his granddad's WWII medals at a NT museum .
  He spent two years looking for Jack Slade's medal's believing they were lost forever .
  A request to have them returned to the family was refused .
  Mr Cordina was told that the museum needed them more than he did .
  He has now started a petition to have them returned with 15,000 signatures .
  Director of the museum said Mr Slade asked for them to be left to the public in his will .