POW Bracelets

Parent Cafe
21

<p>I had one when I was in Jr high and never took it off until he came home. I was trying to find out how to send it to him when I read an interview where he said that he had received a lot a bracelets, mostly from young impressionable girls, but a few from adults with notes that were very touching. So feeling that he wouldn’t appreciate another bracelet from another young impressionable girl, I kept it.</p>

<p>He went on to write a book about his experiences as a POW. This thread inspired me to buy a copy of his book. It looks like he is still alive–maybe I’ll write a letter to him now.</p>

22

<p>[url=&lt;a href="http://www.miafacts.org/bracelets.htm]Here’s[/url"&gt;http://www.miafacts.org/bracelets.htm]Here’s[/url</a>] an article about the origin of the pow/mia bracelets. I had an mia. Don’t remember his name. It bothered me at the time because my route to school took me past a house that had a sign at the end of the driveway for their mia son. So I didn’t wear it.</p>

23

<p>If anyone is so inclined, there are still soldiers that are MIA’s and POW’s and bracelets are for sale. [Ordering</a> POW/MIA Bracelets](<a href=“http://www.pow-miafamilies.org/powmia-bracelets/get-your-powmia-bracelet/]Ordering”>http://www.pow-miafamilies.org/powmia-bracelets/get-your-powmia-bracelet/)</p>

24

<p>I had a bracelet and remember his name very clearly. I was actually able to watch him walk off an airplane on the TV news - an enormously moving event in my young life. I know I have that bracelet buried deep in my basement in a box somewhere.</p>

25

<p>I didn’t have one but my sister who was ten years older did. It was silver. She wore it a lot but don’t think she ever tried to find out about her soldier.</p>

26

<p>“I’m 48, and my mother and I both had them, so I’m kind of puzzled by the disbelief that a poster’s mother would have had them - why wouldn’t she?” </p>

<p>That was me who posted that - and it was in jest.</p>

27

<p>My bracelet eventually broke (trying to fit it to my young wrist) but my POW came home. He spent seven years in North Vietnamese concentration camps, including the Hanoi Hilton.</p>

28

<p>Proudly wore a bracelet for many years and even corresponded with the P.O.W’s wife. He was held by the North Vietnamese for 8 years but came home alive and lived until 2010.
He taught me as a young person about sacrifice and service and I’ve never forgotten him.
Thanks for this wonderful thread.</p>

<p>[Bio</a>, McKamey, John B.](<a href=“http://www.pownetwork.org/bios/m/m104.htm]Bio”>Bio, McKamey, John B.)</p>

29

<p>I returned my bracelet to the family of the soldier a few years ago. Information available on this website: [bracelet</a> - how and when to return](<a href=“http://www.pownetwork.org/bracelet.htm]bracelet”>bracelet - how and when to return)</p>

30

<p>I just used that link to check up on my POW and the information there confirms what I remembered. He was shot down in 1966 and came home in February 1973. I was a senior in high school and remember exactly where I was when I saw him arrive home. </p>

<p>I also remember that my bracelet got kind of corroded on the inside and was giving me a rash so every now and again I would reline it with masking tape. I couldn’t bear to not wear it as it seemed unlucky. I took it off the day he came home.</p>

<p>Thank you for bringing this up and for providing the link.</p>