THE WALL OF FACES

On January 26, 1966, CPT Wilmer N. Grubb was the pilot of a USAF McDonnell RF-101C Voodoo reconnaissance aircraft from the 20th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron sent on an unarmed photo reconnaissance mission over Quang Binh Province, North Vietnam. The flight occurred during a Christmas bombing halt. As Grubb's aircraft was about twenty miles southwest of the city of Quang Khe, it experienced difficulty in gaining altitude and crashed into a hillside. The next day, the communist New China News Agency began publicizing the capture of CPT Grubb, followed closely by the Hanoi, who conveniently obscured the true nature (unarmed photo reconnaissance) of Grubb's mission. On February 3, Radio Hanoi broadcast a statement attributed to Grubb. On February 7, there was another broadcast, this time in Grubb's voice. Beginning on February 10, photographs of him appeared in communist countries around the world. He appeared healthy except for a wound in the leg. But four years later, Hanoi announced that he died nine days after capture "as a result of injuries in crash." In 1973, when 591 Americans were released from POW camps in Hanoi, Grubb was not among them. A year later, the Vietnamese returned his remains, saying he had died in captivity as a result of wounds received in the crash. Grubb was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel during the time he was in captivity. [Taken from pownetwork.org]

I bought my POW/MIA bracelet in 1968. It listed Lt.Col N.W. "Newk" Grubb. I wore the cuff until 1975, then gently stored it in my jewelry box inside an archival envelope.

If there are any direct family members (wife, sibling, children, grandchildren) of Lt Col Grubb who would value my cuff, I am willing to give you this cherished piece of history.

I still have and keep Wilmer's POW braclet close. I think about him so often. I had a family friend who died in Cambodia during the war - Raymond James DiSanti - and although I was only 10, his death greatly affected me...will always be so proud of these two wonderfully brave men and all those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for their country. Thank you.

i wore LTC Grubb's POW bracelet in high school. For many years I did not know what happened to him. Finding he died in captivity broke my heart. We can not let these brave soldiers fade from America's memory. Thank you for serving our country and making the ultimate sacrifice.

I came here today due to Bruce Springsteen's song, "The Wall," that he did several times recently on his 2014 tour and he dedicated to 2 Vietnam soldiers that he knew as teenagers in bands back in Freehold, NJ in 1967.

One was LCPL Barton E. Haynes, who died in Quang Tri province on 10/22/67. Both he and Springsteen were in the band, The Castiles, before Haynes went to Vietnam.

The other was SSGT Walter A. Cichon, who was in the band, The Motifs, and who schooled Bruce on playing guitar, before Cichon went to Vietnam and went MIA on 3/30/68 in Kontum province.

Watching Springsteen's official YouTube video of "The Wall" done in Charlotte on 4/19/04, where he talks about those 2 but goes more universal about that war and its effects that linger still, got me thinking back to when, as a young middle school student i got and wore a POW/MIA bracelet, as so many other students did then. I forget how one got them back then - in the mail back? - but it meant something big

Anyway, that got me intrigued as to whether I still had it. Sp, today I checked in an old box of kid stuff I've kept all these years and there it was -> "LT COL W.N. "NEWK' GRUBB - USAF 26 JAN 1966".

So, I came here today to find out more about LTC Grubb and it's certainly been an honor to learn about him and to have got his bracelet 40 some years ago and to still have it.

I was also greatly surprised to see so many others who also had his bracelet.

As someone else said, I too would be happy to return it to a family descendant if they contact me via email.

Until then, I will now proudly wear it again to honor the life of LTCOL Grubb and to commerate his service and ultimate sacrifice to his country on Memorial Day and Veterans Day.

Next time I go to The Wall, I will definitely have to find him on there and think about all that.

NEVER Forget!