NILES, Ohio (WKBN) – A veteran was ecstatic Wednesday after being reunited with his lost ring after a report on WKBN 27 First News.

First News was there as 92-year-old Verne Gibson received his ring back from the woman who found it.

The owner of the Walgreens in Niles saw WKBN’s report on the missing ring and called us to let us know one of her employees, Marilyn Alberini, found the ring last week and that they had been keeping it safe at the store.

Seventeen hours later, the missing ring was back on Gibson’s pinky finger.

“As happy as I am when I married my wife 52 years ago,” he said.

“The best Marine Corps. birthday gift I’ve ever had.”

The ring has a lot of sentimental value for Gibson, who plans to pass it down to his grandson.

“When I get home, I’m going to put more tape around the bottom so it doesn’t ever fall off again. I don’t know how it came off anyhow. But home again, home again, jiggity jig,” he said.

Gibson called the store looking for his ring last week. Alberini didn’t know it was him at the time, but she asked the pharmacy if anyone turned it in — and no one had.

When she relayed the message, she could hear how disappointed he was and decided to go look for herself.

“I walked all the way down here, and I’m looking all over the floors,” Alberini said.

Her search led her to the pharmacy area, where she noticed something underneath one of the chairs.

“I turned the corner, and here enough, his ring was sitting right underneath the chair,” she said.

It wasn’t until Alberini’s boss saw our story that they were able to find the man who was missing his ring. It’s something Alberini wanted to do herself, and she refused to accept the reward.

“In life, you gotta just do something good for somebody else,” she said.

“I just was so happy through media this came together and it was a happy ending,” she added.

It’s a happy ending filled with gratitude, kindness, and how a good story can bring the two together.

“I want to thank you two because I think you two are mostly responsible for me getting it back. I can’t thank you girls enough,” Gibson said.