Originally posted on my MamaBugs' Blog

This was a really hard trip for me this time. I’ll explain why in just a bit. I stopped by the directories located on either end to locate a dear friend’s cousin. I had no trouble finding his name (although names are placed on the wall in order of date of death the directories are in alphabetical order) and we dried it off as best we could in order to do a rubbing for the family. And of course we took a photograph for them as well.

As most of you know, I have been wearing a MIA bracelet for MANY years now, my second one actually. I’ve told you how my children have “adopted” this man as a sort of “uncle” and have wanted to know who will get my bracelet when I die. I have always told them I hope no one because I’d like him to be accounted for long before that happens. Well I went to “visit” Robert Eugene Foster, (born 28 March 1928, from Lockport NY, SSgt, USAF, shot down 3-9-66) and on Wall 5E Row 132, I noticed there was a diamond next to his name. I didn’t recall this being there before but it’s been a few years since we’ve visited the wall.  

Here is the explanation from www.vvfm.org: “The diamond symbol denotes that the service member's death was confirmed; the cross symbol denotes the person was missing at the end of the war and remains missing and unaccounted for. The diamond symbol is superimposed over the cross when a service member's remains are returned or otherwise accounted for.”

My initial response was confusion because I have never been notified of a change in Robert’s status nor have I been able to find anything online to indicate a change in status. I spoke with a volunteer at the wall and he suggested I check online again for any recent updates. My second response was to burst in to tears. I told me husband I wasn’t sure if I could actually take my bracelet off. “He’s been with me for so long now he is a part of me. It will be like I;m forgetting him.” I cried as we walked through the rain back to the car. There wasn’t anything else to say.

I know I’m “supposed” to take it off and return it like I did with my first one. Maybe it bothers me because I can’t find a family member for Robert. I’ve spent a great deal of time today searching online again. I was able to find some comments from friends of his and even from a sister of one of the other two men killed along with Robert that day. One friend wrote simply, “A good man.” Words like that used to really mean something and it moved me to tears once again.

After a lengthy search, I was able to determine his status has not changed and is in fact, as it was the last time I checked. He is confirmed dead (there were surviving witnesses) but his remains have not been returned. I intend to continue to wear his bracelet and will do so until we have a full accounting of all our missing service members. It’s what I would want and the least I can do.

Some sites that were helpful to me in my search:

http://thewall-usa.com/cgi-bin/have.cgi?18

http://www.vvmf.org/

http://www.wpafb.af.mil/museum/history/vietnam/ashau2.htm

http://thewall-usa.com/

Technorati Tags: homeschool, homeschooling, home school, Home Education, family, military, military homeschool, America, Air Force family, Army family, Marine family, Navy family, Coast Guard family, troops, prayer, deployment