THE WALL OF FACES

I have been wearing Michael Donovan's bracelet ever since i got it in basic training in 1972 at Lackland AFB TX, While in basic training.

I wore a POWMIA bracelet with Capt. Michael Donovan's name on it for more years than I can remember. I wore it in High School & College. I wore it (off duty) the whole time I was in The Army. I wore it when I was married. He was an everyday part of my life, and I still have the bracelet, now almost worn through. So many years later he still remains MIA, but not forgotten.
I pray for his family and friends who still miss him and will always remember him as a handsome young pilot.

CAPT Michael L. Donovan was born November 9, 1944 in Huntington Park, California. His family later moved to Norton, Kansas, where he graduated from Norton Community High School in 1962. He was married before entering Fort Hays State College where he graduated in 1966 with a degree in Agriculture. In the summer of 1966, Mike entered the Air Force and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant. He received training in Texas and Florida and in 1968 became a pilot of the F-4 Phantom jet. Mike was promoted to Captain while serving an overseas tour in Japan. In January, 1971, Mike left for his last assignment in South Vietnam, and was stationed at Da Nang Airfield with the 421st Tactical Fighter Squadron. CAPT Ronald L. Bond was born in Camden, New Jersey on December 14, 1947. He grew up in Haddonfield, New Jersey. At the age of 12, Ron was on the Haddonfield Little League team that went to the New Jersey finals. In that same year he was Middle Atlantic AAU, 12 and under Diving Champion and a tri-county swimming and diving champion. In his high school years at Haddonfield Memorial High School, he was wrestling champion in his weight class. When Ron graduated from high school in 1965, he was accepted at the University of Delaware, but was also granted an appointment to the Air Force Academy, which he accepted. His first assignment after graduating from the Academy in 1969 was navigator school, then training to be "Guy in Back" in the F-4 fighter bomber, then an unexpected (and unwanted) assignment to South Korea. Ron did everything he could think of to get a Vietnam assignment, and the orders to go to Vietnam came while he was home just prior to leaving for Korea. With his heavy clothes on their way to Korea and his lighter clothes shipped home to Haddonfield, he left for Da Nang, South Vietnam, arriving there February 6, 1971. Ron was home again in July, 1971. He was on R & R, but had come home to be fitted with contact lenses so that he could become a pilot. Shortly after his return to Da Nang, Ron began flying Forward Air Controller reconnaissance missions. He was attached to the 390th Tactical Fighter Squadron. On September 30, 1971, Donovan and Bond teamed up on an operational mission over Laos. On the mission, Donovan was the pilot and Bond the "Guy in Back" (navigator). The pair were on the last leg of their mission having mated up twice with a KC-135 (for fuel). The aircraft failed to return on schedule to Da Nang, and after an extensive search, the two men were declared Missing In Action. Bond and Donovan are two of the nearly 600 men missing in action over Laos. The poorly-negotiated Paris Peace Agreement ending American involvement in Southeast Asia did not address the prisoners of war and missing held in Laos, and no subsequent negotiations ever held to secure their freedom. As a result, even though the Pathet Lao stated publicly that they held "tens of tens" of American prisoners, not one man held in Laos was released. [Narrative taken from pownetwork.org; image from wikipedia.com]

Dear Captain Michael Leo Donovan, sir

As an American, I would like to thank you for your service and for your sacrifice made on behalf of our wonderful country. The youth of today could gain much by learning of heroes such as yourself, men and women whose courage and heart can never be questioned.

May God allow you to read this, and may He allow me to someday shake your hand when I get to Heaven to personally thank you. May he also allow my father to find you and shake your hand now to say thank you; for America, and for those who love you.

With respect, and the best salute a civilian can muster for you, Sir

Curt Carter

I have never met Michael Donovan but I have worn his bracelet since the 70 s. I have prayed for him. I have and will never forget Captain Donovan and his great sacrifice for me and our country. Thank you and God Bless.