Opinion

MIA-POW bracelets helped us remember

Posted June 03, 2018 1:00 am

Thank you for Burt Constable's article about the MIA-POW Vietnam bracelets. I wondered how many people kept their bracelets all these decades and I'm guessing there are a lot of us.

I was young when I got my bracelet but knew the value of servicemen and women since my grandfather, father (born on May 30, Memorial Day) and three uncles served in the military. I married an Army man and my brother was also in the military, along with two nephews who served in Iraq.

My family was lucky, all came home. I thought about MIA Captain Robert Beutel over the decades and scoured the papers for any news about him. I finally was able to put a face to the name with the internet and found his uncle. We emailed and he told me Bob was shot down over Laos and they think he died instantly. He was from Tremont, Illinois.

In the 90s, I bought a bracelet, Operation Desert Shield - A Call To Freedom, to support our troops. I write this on Monday, May 28, Memorial Day, and thank the men and women that served and currently serve our country and their families. Your sacrifice keeps us safe.

Holly Spencer

Hanover Park

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