10 Jun 2004 My grandmother Nelva Peffer passed away May 2004. My sister, uncle and I spent 4 days going through her belongings, and this POW bracelet was among them. A flood of memories came back to me, as I remembered wearing my own bracelet in 1973-4 at the age of 7, and breaking it in two when "my guy Jack" returned... We lived in Dayton, Ohio as my dad was a doctor doing a 2 year service at Wright Patterson Air Force Base in the military hospital. My mother got her bracelet first, and then I remember that she offered one to me, but I had to pay the 2 dollars myself. I am assuming that my grandmother got her bracelet in the same way, but with much different feeling than a 2nd grader. You see, Nelva Peffer was a true patriot. Born only 12 years before Col. Foley, she saw over half her male high school classmates on casualty lists during WW II. She joined the American Legion Auxillary and was an active member. She supported all the military men who served our nation, perhaps in memory of the close friends she lost. I believe that even though Nelva didn't wear her bracelet in the end, it was secured in a safe corner of her jewelry box, she would never let it go until she was sure her soldier had returned. I immediately put Brendan Foley's bracelet on and returned to my home in Germany. My hope was to find that he was alive, but after checking the Vietnam War Memorial lists, I was heartbroken to find that he was MIA in Laos. I researched his bio and found out he was believed to be a POW and may still be alive, but presumed dead. What a huge sadness has come over me at this news, and some anger that we cannot retrieve what should be rightfully returned. Thus, I have been researching websites to find relatives of Col. Foley's family. The bracelet gave me great hope for the 2 weeks that I had it on my wrist, and I shall continue to wear it until I have the opportunity to break it in half on his return or send it to the family of Brendan Patrick Foley. Kirstan Boettger Hamburg, Germany E-mail address is not available.

 

24 Mar 2006 I have Col Foley's bracelet and have worn it since the 80s. I served in the U.S. Army and was in Vietnam 68-69. I feel being a Vietnam vet should make us brothers. I hope one day his remains may finally be returned home. So here is a big salute. I think of him always. Willis Kortright wkortright@msn.com

 

A Note from The Virtual Wall On the night of 23/24 Nov 1967 an RF-4C (tail number 65-0844) of the 11th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron was lost while on a weather recon mission over North Vietnam. While one report suggests the aircraft went down over the Plain of Jars in Central Laos, no wreckage was ever found. The two crewmen were classed as Missing in Action and remained in that status until the Secretary of the Air Force approved Presumptive Findings of Death for them on the dates indicated: Col Brendan P. Foley, New York, NY (10/09/1980) Capt Ronald M. Mayercik, Edison, NJ (07/28/1977) Their remains have not been recovered.

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