For 1LT Brian Bradshaw

I never met 1LT Brian Bradshaw and I do not know his family. I wear his Memorial Bracelet because he was the first officer to die shortly after I arrived in Afghanistan last year. When I read his story and discovered that he grew up near my home town and did similar things growing up as I did, I was deeply touched! Also, Michael Jackson died the same day 1LT Bradshaw was killed and the pop star was all over the news and not a mention about this American hero was anywhere to be found. This was upsetting to me so I decided to purchase 1LT Bradshaw's bracelet to honor him in a way Michael Jackson will never be honored.

Additionally, 1LT Bradshaw is buried in the same National Cemetery as my father. When I go home this summer to visit family and attend my daughter's high school graduation, I am going to go visit 1LT Bradshaw when I go to spend time with my Dad at Mount Tahoma National Cemetery.

It is a shame that we have young men and women dying every day in combat and they barely make the news anymore. But, when a celebrity dies they are immortalized forever.

Rest in Peace 1LT Brian Bradshaw. God Bless your family!

Respectfully,
BRENDA V
CPT, AG
XO, FORSCOM DEPUTY G3/5/7

For Those Who Gave Their Lives so Others Would Not Lose Theirs

I orderd this Memorial Bracelet because these people gave their lives so others would not lose theirs, and I think they need to be remerbered for that and never forgotten. What they did was a very dangerous, commendable and very brave, and they deserve more recognition.

God Bless those who lost their lives and comfort for their families.

43rd anniversary of the death of Cpl. Robert Katavolos

21 May 2010, is the 43rd anniversary of the death of Cpl. Robert Katavolos USMC.

A member of Mike Co. / 3rd BN / 9th Marines. Their "TAOR" Tactical Area of Responsibility was Quang Tri Province, South Vietnam. Where on 21 May 67, he gave his life for his country.

We went to grade school together, hung out as teenagers together and joined the US Marine Corps together on the same day. We both served in South Vietnam in 1967 but in different units and were both "Grunts" 0311 Riflemen.

Marines never forget our fallen brothers and Cpl. Robert Katavolos was more like part of my family. I will wear his KIA Bracelet proudly, to me it means much more than a simple bar of Stainless Steel with a name.

Please take a minute of silence in his memory and if you ever go to "The Wall" in Washington, DC. His name can be found on (Panel-20-East/Line 76). May he be resting in peace and remain in our hearts.

Semper Fi

In Memory of our Son Jesse

I ordered a Memorial Bracelet and will wear it every single day in memory of our son Jesse A. Mellott. Jesse took his life at age 21 on August 29, 2007. I will never ever get over this, and my loss and grief go so deep. I want him with me always and this is a way I feel I can do that.

Thank you,
Sue

To Remember Those That Have Sacrificed Before Me

I received my POW/MIA Bracelet for Capt. David L. Leet - USMC, who went MIA on April 13, 1972. On that very day, I was born. I plan to wear this bracelet as a reminder that my life is possible as a result of the sacrafices of people like Capt. Leet. I only hope I can do his life justice with mine.

Amy M.
St. Louis, MO

For our Brother in Blue

On September 6, 2008 our dear friend and Brother in Blue was shot and killed in the line of duty when he responded to a domestic violence call.

No one that day (especially his wife and my best friend and partner) ever expected the unexpected. Sergeant Paul Starzyk was a hero that day. He saved the lives of the occupants in that home that day. The suspect was shot and killed at the scene when he continued to fire upon all the officers there that horrible dark day.

Paul left behind a beautiful family. His best friend and wife whom herself was a Deputy Sheriff, two son's and a daughter, all under the age of ten. The suspect and murderer that day left so many devastated friends and loved ones asking that awful question ... " why ?! ". Why her best friend and husband ??? Why Daddy ??? Why our friend ??? Why our Brother and Partner ??? We that knew Paul, will continue to hold him dear in our hearts and think of him every single day. We wear our Memorial Bracelets to keep some special part of him with us each and every day.

Please never forget our Fallen Officer's. We put our uniforms and gear on every day to go to work to keep
our communities safe. We pray at the start of our shift that we will be able to return to our loved ones
after our shift. Some of us are lucky and make it home to our families ... some not so lucky. Sometimes Our father, God, calls his children home unexpectedly. Leaving those of us here and asking "Why ?"

Never forget !!!

God Bless us all

Jacki

Deputy Sheriff, California

For My Old Squad Leader

I wear my Memorial Bracelet for my old squad leader (second from left with acu shorts). He was an outstanding example of how you lead from the front. He was like a brother to me. We miss you Ragin Red.

For SGT BRANDON SCOTT RICHARD

Brandon was in the army from the 9th grade he spent one year in IRAQ he lost his best friend there and he had a Memorial Bracelet that he never took off. We lost Brandon in a car wreck on March 24, 2010.

We never found his bracelet. Me and Brandon together had two daughters and two sons. The boys were not his blood sons, but you would not have known that by the way he loved them. My boys are 14 year old twins and they really want to have his bracelet, but the next best thing to me is to give them one so that they will always have something of him with them.

For Mom's Stolen Vietnam Bracelet

I ordered a Vietnam Bracelet for Mother's Day this year. As a young girl, my mom wore her bracelet full time and cried when she had to take it off due to a broken wrist. In recent years, her house was broken into and her jewelry box was stolen and along with it, her bracelet. I searched the alleys close to her house and even local pawn shops, but was not able to recover any of the items. The one thing she has talked most about losing was her bracelet. So I have ordered her a replacement so that she can continue to wear it until her soldier is returned. Col GILBERT S. PALMER JR USAF 27 FEB 68 Laos MIA AL

Thanks,

Sarah L. G.-L.

St. Louis, MO

For Vietnam MIA Cpl Bobby Neeld

I will be attending LZ Lambeau on May 23rd, 2010 in Green Bay, WI. A welcome home to the Vietnam Vets....finally.

This is the first time, since serving there, that I have seen my husband show a little pride at having been a part of it. I remember even some of our friends looked down on him when he returned. Anyway, I wore Bobby Neeld's bracelet as a young woman. When the Vietnam MIA Bracelet broke many years ago, I kept it in my jewelry box until I heard a friend was going to Washington DC as a school chaperon, I asked him to find Cpl. Neeld's name on the Memorial Wall and asked him to leave the bracelet there, which he did.

My husband and I will be working computers, helping people find their friends, loved ones and relatives names on the traveling Memorial Wall, and I will be wearing Cpl. Neeld's MIA bracelet and a POW/MIA t-shirt. I am so proud to be wearing his name again, after all these years...even though I am not so young a woman anymore. I have never forgotten him....we should never forget him.

Linda N.
Sturgeon Bay, WI

For My friend Tim Thomas

I ordered a Vietnam KIA Bracelet because Tim and I both went to Nam. He went in 68 and I went in 69. He didn't make it home, but I got lucky and did. Not a day goes by that I don't think about Vietnam and Tim. I've seen the moving wall several times and it makes me feel closer to him. I feel by doing this I'll always be close. RIP Tim and all my brothers. Dennis C.

For Our Son Jesse

I ordered this Memorial Bracelet because our son Jesse A. Mellott took his life on August 29, 2007. Our lives will never ever be the same again! I want to wear this every moment of my life while I am asleep and awake. Lord knows how badly I miss him.
Thanks,

To Keep My Son's Memory Alive

I order these items to wear in keeping my son memory alive and close to my heart. Losing a child is one of the hardest things in life, but the memory is a joy and bride to have. I thank God for a wonderful guy who gave his life for the ultimate sacifice to our country. His Mom Anginette M.

For SGT ATANASIO HARO MARIN JR.

I served with nacho Atanasio Haro-Marin in Iraq. I was one of four soldiers who pulled him off the streets of Balad when he was KIA. A lot of people got medals for that night, but a lot of us just lost a good friend and brutha..

Patrick H.
Sgt US Army
C 3/16 FA 4th ID

For My Relatives Interned at Santo Tomas

I ordered this bracelet because my mom, 2 aunts, an uncle and grandparents were interned at Santo Tomas Internment Camp during WWII. I wore a Vietnam POW/MIA bracelet for many years. It broke a few years ago and I decided I needed to wear another Memorial Bracelet.

Pat H.

To Remember 3 from 775th Civil Engineer Squadron

When I was active duty USAF, I was a First Sergeant assigned to the 775^th Civil Engineer Squadron at Hill AFB in Utah. The Explosive Ordinance Disposal flight was assigned to the squadron. The three personnel on my Memorial Bracelet lost their lives as a result of a roadside bomb in Iraq. These young military members were bright, intelligent and had their whole lives ahead of them. I left the 775^th for another squadron after being their First Sergeant for almost 1.5 years and shortly afterwards was notified of their deaths. As much as it could hit home, it hit home. I remember their departure and how Elizabeth Locke was smiling and simply looking forward to “another” TDY completely unaware she would never make it home. The EOD flight is a family like I’ve never seen before and remembering the memorial service for these three put a dent in my heart. The war they fight and the danger they voluntarily put themselves in is an example of selflessness and a genuine desire to keep America free from terrorism.

These three followed the directions of their commander and chief, no matter what their personal opinions were and died doing so. I will never forget these three and the impact their deaths had on so many people.

Jeffrey

For John Lost in Nam

I found your site looking at Vietnam death numbers. He was a friend of mine from school. We were in Nam at the same time when I got home I found out he didn't make it. He's been on my mine lately. I had a bad experence in Nigeria. I was taken hostage last year. My driver and security were killed. I was looking back on my life and John came back to me. Thanks

To Remember Uncle Donnie

My uncle Donald was killed in Vietnam before I was born. My dad never talked about him very much because it was to painful. I knew he was killed in Vietnam but didn't know much else about him except that he was very young, 19. My dad told the story about one time when Donnie got to come home for a short time because he was wounded he was bringing him back to the airport to go back to Vietnam, Donnie told my dad that he wouldn't be coming home and to take care of mom and brother. My uncle Donnie was killed in June and his funeral was on my brothers 4th birthday. I found some letters he had written while he was in vietnam that my mom and dad kept in their safety deposit box. Some of them were written while he was in a foxhole so they are dirty and very hard to read because he was writing them in the dark. They are very sad to read. I had a baby last February and I named him after my uncle Donnie. I am making a scrapbook about my uncle Donnie to give to my son when he is older so he knows who and why he is named after this person. I thought this Memorial Gracelet would be a nice addition to go along with his scrapbook. Thank you very much. I am so happy I found this website.
Deslyn

For Someone Special Serving in Afghanistan

I know how important the men and woman of our Armed Forces are... How they strive and give up so much of their personal lives to serve, protect and love Our Country... I have someone special to me serving in Afghanistan and He is the Love of my Life... Im am Proud to have him in my life and i only hope as i do for all Our Soldiers, that they will be brought home safe to the arms and love of their family, friends and loved ones... Their Job is so Important to the American Public.

Im Proud and Honored to have them on my side as well to be an American... God Bless My Love and All of his Kind..

For Vietnam Pfc Albert Erskine

Where I work in Connecticut, Back in 2007 I have met a Marine Patrick Brill who had served in Vietnam in the late 60's. I had shown him the web page I had created and on the site I had put a link to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Page where I showed him that you can look up any casualty of Vietnam, see when and where they were killed and where they are on The Wall.

He had asked me to look up Pfc Albert Erskine, this was a fellow Marine he had went through Boot camp with and eventually served in Nam with. On 21 February 69 while in Vietnam, they had drawn straws to see who would go to a line Company. Patrick had drawn the shortest straw but Albert offered to take his place and go to the line Company. Five days later Pfc Albert Erskine was killed in Quang Nam by small arms fire.

For 38 years Patrick has been feeling a heavy burden of guilt, feeling he was responsible for the death of his friend. He asked me to print out the info off the Vietnam Veterans Memorial site for Albert that I had shown him from my Blackjack phone, which I was pleased to do for him and I told him I do everything I can for our veterans. I not only printed out the info but arranged it on a 8 ½ x 11 piece of cardstock to be framed.

With this printout I gave him other info I found on Albert's info page such as comments posted by people to include one listed by a buddy from NY who had put in his address and email. Through this info, Patrick had been put in contact with Albert's father, and Patrick had drove to NY to meet. Patrick had told me his father was a very nice man and he told him he was sorry and expressed how he felt for the past 38 years. Alberts father had assured him it was not his fault.

In February 2010 after following the link on the Veterans Memorial page, I had told Patrick about Memorial Bracelets and that you can get anyone that was on the wall on a bracelet, I thought he would want one with Albert Erskine on it for the sacrifice he had made, and I was right, Pat asked me to get him one. One day after working 1^st shift, I went to the Post office to check my mail and found it had arrived. With Patrick on 3^rd shift and I wanted to get this to him right away, I waited until 9 pm I went to work to give it to him. He was very pleased with the bracelet and after reading it he put it on and said, "You know, your not supposed to take these off once you put them on." I'm sure whether your supposed to or not, I don't think he would ever take the bracelet off. This is why I have purchased a bracelet and I am very pleased with the quality of it. Thank You.

DTorvinen

In honor of Seig

Our daughter and Seig served in Iraq together, one night a mortar attack on the base 50 meters from our daughters barricks and Seig died in the attack. Our daughter was friends with Seig and it was devastating. It is so sad, he was just a young soldier serving his country. There is not a day that goes by I think of him, he is in our thoughts and prayers.

Amy V proud parent of an American soldier.

For Justin Swanson, LCpl USMC

I wear my Memorial Bracelet because Justin was the one who put me into the life
I love. He helped me become the best. I wear it because I don't want
people to forget the horrible things that are going on over there. I
just don't want to forget my friend. I wear my bracelet to remember my
Friend and peer LCpl Justin Swanson. RIP Devil Dog, You're guarding
St. Peter's Gates now.

James, Orange County, California

For McArthur

It’s hard to imagine how after 41 years you could miss a friend so much. But I do.

For My Active Duty Son

My son is attached to the 101st Airborne Div. Air Assault Rakkasans Brigade in Afghanistan. He is directly involved with Col. Luong's Protection Unit (Head of Operations with the 101st). I am very proud of his sacrifice and achievements.

I'll wear this Active Duty Bracelet in honor of my son until he is safe/back home. Then I'll give it to him to stash away for his children in honor of his service.

Sincerely,

Mark M.

For Ricky Killed in VetNam

Ricky and I were Air Force brats. In 1956 we sailed from SF to Yokohama together. Although our fathers were stationed on different bases, we stayed close. He and I learned to rollerskate together at the outdoor rink at Grant Heights (Yokota). Before we left Japan for Okinawa, his family climbed Mt Fuji one more time. This time my mom, sister, brother and I went along. Our birthdays were only 2 days apart. He was killed in VietNam just after his 19th birthday. Our parents NEVER lost touch! Next month my family goes to Arlington to place my father's ashes. This is the first time I will visit The Memorial.

Had I known of this program, I'd have been wearing this KIA Bracelet years ago.