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<\/a><\/center><\/p>\nBack in April<\/a>, San Bernardino County Sheriff\u2019s Department Deputy Daniel Lopez pulled over 24-year-old Brian Sawyer for a minor traffic violation. Sawyer’s lack of a driver license led to a search of his vehicle which turned up methamphetamine, heroin, a loaded handgun and ammunition. That led to a search of his home – that led to more weapons and drugs as well a bust of Colonel Ralph Smith of the Tuskegee Airmen which had been missing since 2003;<\/p>\n Deputy Lopez discovered Smith lived in Moreno Valley and contacted him, according to the release. The colonel told Lopez the bust was sculpted by California artist Don Winton, who gave it to him in 2003.<\/p>\n Furthermore, Smith said, the Smithsonian Institution had requested to display the sculpture one of its museums, but the piece of art went missing 14 years ago after Smith\u2019s wife died and a rummage sale was held at his house. Smith thought he would never see it again, he told Lopez.<\/p>\n \u201cThey never would tell me, even when I went to court several times, what happened to it,\u201d Smith said.<\/p>\n But on Sunday afternoon, the colonel was reunited with the sculpture.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n