DEAR ABBY: My husband and his father had a falling out. My husband's father now has hired a lawyer to get the pictures and Vietnam medals back that he had given my husband as a gift years ago. This is his only son.
We have two sons whom my husband would like to pass the medals down to. He knows if he gives the medals back that he may never see them again because his dad has a girlfriend now who wants them. She's behind him pursuing the issue with a lawyer.
How can I help my husband? Should he give in to his father's demands and return the medals and pictures, or should he fight to keep them? -- MIDDLE OF A MESS
DEAR MIDDLE: How old are your sons? Because of this rift, do they still have a relationship with their grandfather? Would they appreciate the war medals and understand what they stand for?
My feeling is that you should stay out of the line of fire and allow your husband and his own lawyer to fight this battle. However, you may be able to sway the outcome if you or your sons write your father-in-law a warm letter telling him how sad you feel about the situation and that his medals are heirlooms they and their children would treasure in the future. Then cross your fingers.