THE WALL OF FACES

I just wanted to let you know that Col. John W. Armstrong is not forgotten. His bracelet sits on my desk at home,and there it shall stay.

The Department of Defense conducted a ceremony at the Pentagon on Friday, 20 September 2019 in recognition of POW/MIA Recognition Day. Deputy Defense Secretary David L. Nordquist remembered the 1,587 MIAs from the Vietnam War as well as all those still unaccounted for from WWII, the Korean War, the Cold War and other conflicts. Since the 2018 Ceremony, DPAA has positively identified 7 Vietnam War MIAs. Colonel John William Armstrong., USMA Class of 1949, is one of those 1,587 MIAs unaccounted for in Southeast Asia from the Vietnam War. He is also one of 10 graduates from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point who is still MIA. The other 9 USMA MIAs (rank, name & class) are: (1) Col Wallace Hynds (1945); (2) Col Herbert Brennan (1947); (3) Maj Carl Mitchell (1950); (4) Col Joseph Austin (1952); (5) Col Lawrence Tatum (1953); (6) Col Robert Stewart (1956); (7) CPT Humbert “Rocky” Versace (1959); (8) Capt James Dawson (1963); & (9) MAJ James “Cliff” McKittrick (1964).

This is the link to the DoD story about the ceremony:

https://www.defense.gov/explore/story/Article/1967474/prisoners-of-war-missing-in-action-remembered-at-pentagon-ceremony/

This is the link to the C-Span video of the ceremony:

https://www.c-span.org/video/?464524-1/pentagon-hosts-national-powmia-recognition-day-ceremony

I still have my pow bracket with Col. John Armstrong’s name on it. I have had it for almost 50 years.

As a teenager , I bought John's bracelet along with others. I married into the military, my husband served in Vietnam, my son served in Desert Storm and we lost our eldest grandson in Afghanistan . I routinely dedicate and use my shows as a platform to honor our troops , veterans and POW and MIA to make sure no one ever forgets the debt of gratitude we owe all these men and women. My bracelet became so worn it broke in half. I would love to interview some of these family members on air. We are a community non profit station, that is truly supportive of our Armed Forces and are so grateful for their sacrifices. God Bless them all. Melody DiGregorio-

If one of Col. Armstrong’s family members would like his MIA Bracelet, I’d be honored to give it to them.

Sincerely,

Jimmy McNutt