Do you still have your Viet Nam POW Bracelet?

[birdlady49]

Someone started this thread on another board and I thought it was fascinating, so I'm starting it here. Do you still have your Viet Nam POW bracelet?

I knew I hadn't thrown mine out, so I went through my "archives" and found it. I also found my old passport, old photographs of boyfriends (giggle), and birthday cards from when I was a toddler. Talk about antiques!

Anyway, my bracelet is for Spec.5 Rick Medaris, who was lost on November 4th 1969. His body was found four years later. Here's what I found on the virtual wall after googling his name:

Seven men died when a UH-1H (hull number 68-16057) belonging to the 192nd Assault Helicopter Company went down on 04 Nov 1969 during a routine administrative flight from Ninh Hoa to the 155th Avn Co (AHC) located at Ban Me Thout, RVN:

CPT Alfonso Roque Castro, pilot, 192nd AHC
CW2 John Steven Anderson, pilot, 192nd AHC
SP6 Allan Gordon Kennedy, gunner, 192nd AHC
SSG Marion Lee Roach, crew chief, 192nd AHC
SSG Rick Eggburtus Medaris, passenger, 155th AHC
SSG John Allen Payne, passenger, 155th AHC
SP5 Richard Gene Bauer, passenger, 155th AHC

The crash site was located on 09 Jul 1973 and the remains of all seven men were recovered.

I wish they had made these wonderful copper bracelets for our Iraq and Afghanistan soldiers.

[jimpierce7]

I remember my sisters having those. Thats really cool you still have yours. I was still a tad too young myself. But I sure remember my dad's 2nd deployment in 66/67 when I was a wee 4 and 5 y/o. lol

[gbird]

No, but I have pictures of my 2 best friends, brothers that died over there. One was found, one wasn't.

Damn that war!

[ROYJOY]

i was a pow for 2 days, in nya be, a suberb, if you will, of saigon, now called ho chi mihn city. it was the 4th of july '70, when we got our independance back.

[Lisa B]

Yes. we still have ours.

Chief Warrent Officer David S Soyland
USA 17 May 71 South Vietnam
From South Dakota

My husband is a bit older than I am.

He was a door gunner/crew chief for the Huey's(UH-1H as Ellen mentioned)Tho the last Hueys in service left the state of nj last year.
He now works with Blackhawks, and is the technical inspector and is in charge of the historial records for the state of NJ.

He was in the tail end of Vietnam where RoyJoy mentioned, and still serves his country today.

[Suesue]

I married my hero also. USN Medical Field Served Portmsouth Naval Hospital and the USS Diamond Head.

Then bacame another hero of sorts 27 years with the fire fighter emt.

37 years later he is still my hero. (Well, most of the time LOL)

[Lisa B]

Originally Posted by Suesue

(Well, most of the time LOL)

lol....I hear ya!!!

[ROYJOY]

Well lisa, 1970 really wasnt the tail end of it. it went on 5 more years. we were still winning in '70. nixon had just started to fowl, pardon the pun, things up.

[Lisa B]

Originally Posted by ROYJOY

Well lisa, 1970 really wasnt the tail end of it. it went on 5 more years. we were still winning in '70. nixon had just started to fowl, pardon the pun, things up.

he was there in 1975. where you mentioned in Saigon.