A POW bracelet (or POW/MIA bracelet) is a nickel-plated or copper commemorative bracelet engraved with the rank, name, and loss date of an American serviceman
captured or
missing
Missing or The Missing may refer to:
Film
* ''Missing'' (1918 film), an American silent drama directed by James Young
* ''Missing'' (1982 film), an American historical drama directed by Costa-Gavras
* ''Missing'' (2007 film) (''Vermist''), a Bel ...
during the
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
.
The bracelets were first created in May 1970 by a California student group called ''Voices in Vital America'' (VIVA), with the intention that American prisoners of war in Vietnam not be forgotten.
[Allen, Michael J. ''Until the Last Man Comes Home''. The University of North Carolina Press, 2009. Pages 57–59.] Those who wore the bracelets vowed to leave them on until the soldier named on the bracelet, or their remains, were returned to America.
[Morris, Bernadine. ''Bracelet That Stands for a Cause'', ''The New York Times'' 17 June 1972.]
The bracelets, which cost 30 cents to produce, sold for $2.50 or $3.00 and increased VIVA's income to more than $7 million by 1973. Between 1970 and 1973, approximately 4 million bracelets were distributed. Politicians, entertainers, and models wore the bracelets.
See also
*
POW/MIA flag
The National League of Families POW/MIA flag, often referred to as the POW/MIA flag, was adopted in 1972 and consists of the official emblem of the National League of Families of American Prisoners and Missing in Southeast Asia in white on a bl ...
*
Yellow ribbon
The yellow ribbon is used for various purposes. It may be worn on a person, placed on a vehicle, around a tree, or for a neck tie.
History and etymology
Early Puritan history
The song/poem ''"She wore a yellow ribbon"'' has appeared in variou ...
References
Further reading
*Hawley, Thomas M. ''The Remains of War: Bodies, Politics, and the Search for American Soldiers Unaccounted for in Southeast Asia''. Durham: Duke University Press, 2005. Page 51.
*Hesse, Rayner W. ''Jewelrymaking Through History: An Encyclopedia''. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press, 2007. Page 30.
*Holsinger, M. P. (1999). ''War and American popular culture: A historical encyclopedia''. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press. Page 409–410.
*Wiest, A. A., Barbier, M., & Robins, G. (2010). ''America and the Vietnam War: Re-examining the culture and history of a generation''. New York: Routledge. Page 181
"History of the POW/MIA Bracelet" by Carol Bates Brown: The Vietnam Veterans Memorial*Appy, Christian G. ''
Patriots: The Vietnam War Remembered from All Sides.'' Viking. 2003. Pages 489–492.
External link
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Vietnam War POW/MIA issues
Vietnam War
Bracelets
1970s
POW/MIA advocacy
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