I'm Happy but at the same time I sat here at my desk and cried like a child.
For those of you that know me you may remember that I've always worn 2 of those Stainless Steel POW/MIA Bracelets on my right wrist. You know the ones...those that were the 'In Thing' to wear back in the late 60's and early 70's. Some of us made a vow the day we bent and shaped them around our wrists. A vow not to remove them until 'our guy' was accounted for. A vow that I kept. My bracelets have only been removed on very very few occasions. Today is one of those occasions.
After 33 years, 9 months & 2 days of being listed as MIA I can remove the bracelet bearing the name of Spec 5 Robert O'Hara...Bob's (were on a first name basis after all these years of carrying him around on my wrist) remains were sent to Hawaii in 1993. With additional information, artifacts and an eye witness statement to the crash, his remains were finally identified in October or November 2002.
On November 8, 2002 Robert, along with 6 others from the same crash site...2 with a positive ID [in red] were interred at Arlington National Cemetery.
1/29/03 - Update - After doing a little digging I now find that Robert's family called him "Chuck". His remains were returned to US soil on August 27, 1996 and were identified on October 12, 2000 but his family wasn't formally notified until 2002.
Excerpt from the Arlington National Cemetery---
The group includes Major David Padgett of Washington, Indiana, Captain Ronald Briggs of Philadelphia, Sergeant 1st Class Robert O'Hara of Lost Nation, Iowa, Lieutenant Colonel Donald Parsons, Chief Warrant Officer Charles Stanley, Sergeant 1st Class Eugene Christiansen and Maj. Vu Vann Phao of the Vietnamese Army.
A memorial message I left for SFC Robert C. O'Hara on the various Wall websites.
"Today is 9 December 2002...I couldn't sleep last night, something kept telling me to check the internet sites for one of my POW/MIA's. Sgt First Class Robert Charles O'Hara, you disappeared on February 6, 1969 not to be heard of since. I've often sat and contemplated just who you might be, what you may have looked like, what you would have become had you come home. I've wondered about your parents, brothers, sisters---maybe even a wife or a child. I was never able to find out too much about you...I didn't "push" the issue, your loved ones were entitled to their privacy. Thanks to a dedicated group in Hawaii and Vietnam your remains have been identified and sent home to be buried on US soil on November 8, 2002. I have worn a small stainless steel bracelet with your name engraved on it ever since these bracelets were first introduced by VIVA. I can count the amount of times it has been off my wrist on just my fingers and I'm happy to say that now I will remove it forever and either place it in a special box to be buried with me when my time comes or I may eventually attempt to return it to a relative if ever I am able to find one. I'm glad you are home and I will miss wearing your icon on my wrist but you will be in my heart forever my Vietnam Brother. It doesn't matter what branch of service we were in, nor does it matter which war we fought in...we all bled the same way. Semper Fidelis. Jim Mazy"