POW MIA BRACELETS
In the 1970’s the POW/MIA bracelets were produced and sold for $2.50 for a nickel plated bracelet; some were made of copper and sold for $3.00. The bracelets had the name, rank, date of loss (some variations of information) of a service member who was a POW (prisoner-of-war) or MIA (missing-in-action) in the Vietnam War. Actually there were many duplicates made with the same person named on it. Once someone had a bracelet it was intended to be a way to remember the person named on it. When the person was released in the case of POWs or recovered if they were MIA then the bracelet was to be returned to the servicemember or family member.
Decades later many people still have and/or wear their bracelet while many have been returned to the serviceman or his family. In my experience when one person is wearing a bracelet they are often recognized by a fellow bracelet wearer or owner.
In 2019, I hosted a showing of a film “21 Years- A Folded Flag“ made by the son of U.S. Army Green Beret SSGT Richard A. Fitts who was MIA for 21 years. I happened to have known 2 people that had the bracelet with the name SSGT Richard A. Fitts on it. They both came to the showing of the film where I introduced them to the son of this heroic soldier. It was very moving moment for everyone at the event. What are the chances that I knew two veterans who had the same POW/MIA bracelet!
Spring Creek, North Carolina
2019
< SSGT Richard Fitts, US Army, MIA-Laos
Richard Fitts, Jr.
Lt. Col. Harold Minnick
Ret. SSGT David Lanier, US Marines >
I LIKE TO HELP
In 2023 I decided to post on social media that I would be willing to help anyone that had a POW/MIA bracelet determine the fate of that person. I received 5 requests and found the following information:
- 2 servicemen were POWs in 1966 and 1967 respectively, and released in 1973. One was still alive in 2023 and his next-of-kin information was passed on to the person who requested my help.
- 3 servicemen were classified as MIA with their remains recovered, identified and repatriated to the U.S.
______________________________________________________
DO YOU HAVE A POW/MIA BRACELET?
ARE YOU CURIOUS ABOUT THE FATE OF THE
SERVICEMAN NAMED ON IT?
I am happy to help you find out what happened to them; if they came home, if their remains were recovered, if they were a POW and released. If you would like contact information for next-of-kin I can try to get that information if you would like to return the bracelet to the family.
Please e-mail me at: [email protected] with the following information:
Name as shown on the bracelet
Rank as shown on the bracelet
Date of loss as shown on the bracelet
Although you may be able to find some information by doing a Google search, I have sources that I use to dig a little deeper to obtain information.