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Post by Karene on Oct 1, 2019 9:36:22 GMT
On the 50ish thread, some people were nostalgic for the POW bracelets they had as a kid. Can you explain how you would have ended up with a bracelet from a POW? It's great that you want to return them to the families now, but how come they didn't go to the families at the time?
Thanks, I've never heard of these before.
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Post by monklady123 on Oct 1, 2019 9:56:11 GMT
The servicemen captured and/or missing during the Vietnam War had their names and rank engraved on a bracelet. The idea was to wear them until your guy came home or until his remains were positively identified. Some people never did find out what had happened to their serviceman. Mine came home... I remember watching on TV when the first plane came home with released POWs....the TV guy was announcing each service man's name as he came off the plane. I remember hearing my guy's name. And I still remember it today, and as I was reading your post I immediately recalled his name. Given how bad my memory is sometimes I think it's pretty amazing that I could recall that. I think many people did try to get their bracelet to the soldier and/or the family, but many more didn't because they didn't know how. The bracelets were a way of letting them know they were not forgotten. The Vietnam War was not a popular war (if we can even use that word...but I hope you know what I mean)....the soldiers were treated badly when they got home... No parades of welcome, no cheers at airports, etc. -- I wore my bracelet always, never took it off, until that day when I heard his name coming off the plane. POW braceletsMaj. David Duart, the POW on my bracelet |
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Post by christine58 on Oct 1, 2019 9:56:24 GMT
On the 50ish thread, some people were nostalgic for the POW bracelets they had as a kid. Can you explain how you would have ended up with a bracelet from a POW? It's great that you want to return them to the families now, but how come they didn't go to the families at the time? Thanks, I've never heard of these before. They didn't come from a POW...as POWs were 'identified' a bracelet was made. Then you could--I think--order one and were given one at random. They were worn by you until that POW was either released alive or returned home upon death. You then removed the bracelet and sent to the family. A HS friend just took one off as a body was identified....she wore it for over 40 years. There were also MIA bracelets if I remember correctly. |
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Post by Basket1lady on Oct 1, 2019 11:05:15 GMT
Here is a history of the bracelets. I know they were also distributed in the mid-80s. DH has one that he got during his years as a cadet at the AF Academy. You can order one now from here. It doesn’t say how long this organization has been around, so I’m not sure if that’s where DH’s came from. I can say that DH’s guy was returned home last year as part of the exchange in mid summer of 2018. DH went to the funeral at Arlington, but didn’t approach the family.
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slkmommy
Junior Member
Posts: 97 
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Post by slkmommy on Oct 1, 2019 11:15:23 GMT
My aunt gave me one back in the day....it broke quickly but I kept the info on the soldier. I know there were multiple planes of POWs that arrived back in the states but “my” soldier was the second one off his plane and I got to hear them announce his name.
It was a human connection.
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Loydene
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,639
Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico
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Post by Loydene on Oct 1, 2019 11:28:49 GMT
A friend at our high school 50th reunion last Saturday showed me her POW bracelet. Still wearing it.
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Post by monklady123 on Oct 1, 2019 11:47:48 GMT
 Here’s mine. I just dug it out of the drawer. |
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Post by Spongemom Scrappants on Oct 1, 2019 12:09:36 GMT
I dug mine out, too. I wore it for so long all the black in the lettering is gone. I dug out the research I had done, too. Major Curtis was held over seven years as a prisoner of war... 2.702 days.  |
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peabay
Prolific Pea
Posts: 9,613
Jun 25, 2014 19:50:41 GMT
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Post by peabay on Oct 1, 2019 12:10:46 GMT
Mine was Jeremiah Denton.
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Post by monklady123 on Oct 1, 2019 12:15:09 GMT
I dug mine out, too. I wore it for so long all the black in the lettering is gone. I dug out the research I had done, too. Major Curtis was held over seven years as a prisoner of war... 2.702 days. Most of the black in mine is gone also. For some reason the photo captured the shadows or something. |
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Post by myshelly on Oct 1, 2019 12:21:22 GMT
Other people have explained it well, I just wanted to say that I bought one on my school trip in the late 90s, so they were a thing for a long time.
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janeinbama
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,174
Location: Alabama
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Post by janeinbama on Oct 1, 2019 12:26:34 GMT
I remember buying one at the fair. They had a table full of them. My teenage brain just did not comprehend the sheer number of men represented by the rows and rows of bracelets. I'm not sure what happened to mine though.
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maurchclt
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,622
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Post by maurchclt on Oct 1, 2019 12:34:36 GMT
tears as I'm reading this, remembering that time in our lives and SEEING the bracelets and what/who they represented.
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Post by Spongemom Scrappants on Oct 1, 2019 12:41:25 GMT
Mine was Jeremiah Denton. Wow! |
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Gravity
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,229
Jun 27, 2014 0:29:55 GMT
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Post by Gravity on Oct 1, 2019 12:46:47 GMT
The name on my bracelet is Lt. Marvin Wiles. He was shot down over Vietnam. From what I have been able to find online, Lt. Wiles was able to parachute out of his plane but landed in a hostile village. It is believed that he was killed while trying to escape from the villagers. His remains have never been recovered.
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DEX
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,355
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Post by DEX on Oct 1, 2019 13:19:21 GMT
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janeinbama
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,174
Location: Alabama
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Post by janeinbama on Oct 1, 2019 15:04:24 GMT
Mine was Jeremiah Denton. He is from Alabama and later became a US Senator. |
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Post by psoccer on Oct 1, 2019 15:47:25 GMT
I always wanted one, I remember they sold them at Sears.
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Post by malibou on Oct 1, 2019 16:05:56 GMT
I just found mine Capt. John W Carlson 12-7-66
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Post by lucyg on Oct 1, 2019 16:10:53 GMT
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Post by newscrapper05 on Oct 1, 2019 16:11:31 GMT
I had one when I was in high school 1970-1973. My serviceman's remains were brought to his family in the last two years - he was actually from Tulsa. If I'd seen it in time I would have gone to the memorial. His cousin is a friend of a friend so I took it to her about 6 months ago.
When I was a senior I was going to be in a local pageant and my mom tried to get me to not wear the bracelet with my gown. I persevered and wore it there and on to the state pageant.
I did keep pictures but don't have them on this computer.
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Post by bc2ca on Oct 1, 2019 16:16:49 GMT
thank for linking this  I'm surprised I hadn't heard of this program before, so a big thanks for asking the question, Karene. |
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DEX
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,355
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Post by DEX on Oct 1, 2019 16:17:21 GMT
Oh, I agree but I don't think he was as famous at the time as Jeremiah Denton. I never heard about John McCain until he came back from Vietnam. I remember hearing about Jeremiah Denton. |
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Post by lisacharlotte on Oct 1, 2019 21:01:29 GMT
I have one in my craft room. It belongs to DH. I cannot remember the name but he’s still MIA.
TSgt Jack McCrary USAF
Crewmember on a C130 that went down over North Vietnam on 12/29/1967
Still MIA
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Post by scraphop on Oct 1, 2019 23:27:12 GMT
I still have mine too. Lt. Cmdr. Charles Shelton. He was from Louisiana and I don’t think he ever came home. My Dad is a Vietnam War Veteran and flew A-4’s for the Navy.
His friend Charlie Plumb wrote a book “I’m No Hero” that chronicles his time as a POW. My Dad wore his bracelet until he got to return it to him at reunion of some of their pilot buddies.
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Post by FrozenPea on Oct 2, 2019 3:32:51 GMT
I still have mine too. Lt. Cmdr. Charles Shelton. He was from Louisiana and I don’t think he ever came home. My Dad is a Vietnam War Veteran and flew A-4’s for the Navy. His friend Charlie Plumb wrote a book “I’m No Hero” that chronicles his time as a POW. My Dad wore his bracelet until he got to return it to him at reunion of some of their pilot buddies. Is this who you had? en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Shelton |
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Post by ilikepink on Oct 2, 2019 4:12:22 GMT
My group of girlfriends got them in 7th or 8th grade, 1972ish. I think we sent away for them. My guy, Lt Col Thomas Madison, came home; I randomly found a photo in a newspaper. One of my friends wore hers forever. She had several surgeries and was furious that they made her take it off. I don’t think her guy was found, but I could be wrong.
It was a gesture to show that the people who didn’t come home when expected were remembered. It’s been 47 years, and I remember.
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Post by bothmykidsrbrats on Oct 2, 2019 4:16:53 GMT
I found one on the playground at a park and my dad took it away. He says he doesn't remember it. The last name was Nichols and the year was 1966, but that is all I remember. I didn't know at the time what it was.
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Post by Marina on Oct 2, 2019 7:54:33 GMT
I had one as well for Major Ariel Cross. A couple of years ago I found his information on the internet and when I visited DC I went to the Vietnam War Memorial and found his name.
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Post by mollycoddle on Oct 2, 2019 9:40:35 GMT
I had one as a kid, but lost it. I still have my mom’s somewhere.
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